Gulf of Riga offshore wind farm transmission line corridor picked
Under the state special plan, the route begins as an undersea cable in the Gulf of Riga and transitions to an overhead power line in Arumetsa before continuing to the Kilingi-Nõmme substation.
According to the ministry, a suitable corridor was sought within an area of 5,400 square kilometers encompassing the Gulf of Riga and Pärnu Bay, as well as the rural municipalities of Häädemeeste, Tori, Kihnu and Saarde and the city of Pärnu on land. The most suitable route for the transmission line was identified through an environmental impact assessment and in cooperation with local governments and communities.
The planned connection will begin in the Gulf of Riga as undersea cables and come ashore in Jaagupi in Häädemeeste Municipality from where it will continue as an underground cable to the Arumetsa substation. An underground cable has been planned for the coastal section instead of an overhead line, taking into account the area's dense population and nature conservation requirements.
From Arumetsa onward, the connection will continue as two 330-kilovolt overhead power lines through Häädemeeste and Saarde municipalities to the new Kärsuveski substation.
The planning solution and the environmental impact assessment report will be on public display from June 19 to July 26, during which time everyone will have an opportunity to provide input on the plan. Based on the feedback received, the planning solution will be reviewed and, if necessary, supplemented before being approved at the end of 2026.
The government initiated the state special spatial plan in 2022 following Enefit OÜ's proposal to build an offshore wind farm with a capacity of up to 1,000 megawatts in the Gulf of Riga. The purpose of the plan is to design a connection from the wind farm through which electricity generated offshore can be transmitted to the mainland transmission grid and ultimately delivered to consumers.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Marcus Turovski
