The Government of the Republic of Estonia has approved a draft decision granting the country’s first ever building permit for the construction of an offshore wind farm. The permit will be issued to Saare Wind Energy OÜ, which plans to develop a wind farm off the western coast of Saaremaa.

“This is the first building permit in the history of offshore wind in Estonia – an important step toward clean energy production,” said Jaanus Uiga, Deputy Secretary General for Energy and Mineral Resources at the Ministry of Climate.

The building permit applies to an offshore wind farm of up to 100 turbines, located at least 11 kilometers off the west coast of Saaremaa. The project’s maximum capacity is planned to be up to 1,400 megawatts, with electricity production expected to begin in the early 2030s.

The permit is valid for 50 years and grants the developer the right to construct the offshore wind farm and related infrastructure. It also allows the next steps in the permitting process, including applying for a construction permit from the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority and a special water use environmental permit from the Environmental Board.

Saare Wind Energy OÜ is required to apply for a construction permit within two years of receiving the building permit. The construction permit is typically valid for five years, after which the developer must also obtain an operating permit. The building permit includes specific environmental mitigation measures that the developer must follow.

Issuing the permit does not imply any state support for the project – the permit is required regardless of any potential support mechanisms.

In addition to the Saare Wind Energy OÜ project, the Estonian state is currently processing 11 more building permit applications for offshore wind farms. These have been submitted by OÜ Utilitas Wind, Five Wind Energy OÜ, Tuuletraal OÜ, UAB “Ignitis renewables projektai 6”, Liivi Offshore OÜ, the Environmental Investment Centre Foundation (ELWIND), and Tuul Energy OÜ.