Saare Wind Energy OÜ plans to participate in a Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction organised by the Estonian Ministry of Climate in 2025 to seek revenue support for its up to 1,400 MW Saaremaa offshore wind farm and associated grid connection.
On 16 May 2025, the Government of Estonia granted Saare Wind Energy a superficies licence for an offshore wind farm of up to 1.4 GW west of Saaremaa, giving the company the right to occupy and use the seabed and construct the wind farm and associated infrastructure for a period of 50 years.
Between 2021 and 2024, a comprehensive suite of baseline and specialist studies for the Saare Wind Energy offshore wind farm was completed for the EIA, including surveys of seabed habitats and water quality, fish communities and spawning grounds, birds, bats, seals, underwater noise, landscape and visual impact, cultural heritage, maritime safety risk, aviation impacts, and power quality, with results generally indicating low or manageable impacts when mitigation is applied.
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Saare Wind Energy is the consenting-stage offshore wind farm proposed west of Saaremaa island in Estonia, developed by Saare Wind Energy OÜ with Van Oord as a shareholder and development partner. The scheme covers roughly a 200 km² development area and has been designed to accommodate up to 100 t...
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Saaremaa meretuulepark elektriühendus, Saaremaa Meretuulepark, Saare Offshore Wind Farm, Saaremaa Offshore Wind Farm, Saare Wind Energy OÜ
On 10 June 2024, the Estonian Ministry of Climate approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the Saare Wind Energy offshore wind farm, confirming that the project’s environmental impacts had been assessed and that the report met regulatory requirements within the superficies licence process.
In 2023, DHI AS completed metocean and hydrodynamic resource and impact studies for the Saare Wind Energy offshore wind farm, including "Saaremaa Offshore Wind Farm, Estonia Meteocean Conditions" and plume dispersion and morphodynamics modelling, which showed that wind‑farm‑induced changes in currents and waves would be small (currents changing by less than 10% and wave heights by up to 2%), supporting the technical feasibility of the project.
As part of the EIA and Natura 2000 screening for Saare Wind Energy’s offshore wind farm and cable corridor, environmental and spatial constraints were mapped, identifying multiple Natura 2000 sites in the wider impact area, determining that some (such as Riksu, Karala‑Pilguse and Vilsandi special conservation areas) require appropriate assessment while others would not be adversely affected, and analysing AIS vessel traffic and safety distances to define a two‑nautical‑mile safety buffer between the wind farm and main shipping routes, as well as key coastal viewpoints for visual impact assessment.
On 30 August 2023, a formal notice was issued for the public display and public hearing of the Saare Wind Energy offshore wind farm EIA report, opening consultation on the completed environmental impact assessment.
By 2022, a marine geophysical survey of the Saaremaa offshore wind farm development area had been completed by VBW Weigt GmbH, providing detailed seabed mapping and geophysical data to support design and environmental assessment, as documented in Annex 3.3 of the EIA materials.
In 2022, IPT Projektijuhtimine OÜ completed an onshore geotechnical survey for the Saaremaa offshore wind farm project, supplying ground investigation data for the onshore elements and landfall of the grid connection, as recorded in Annex 3.4 of the EIA documentation.
The planned Saare Wind Energy offshore wind farm site was confirmed to lie within wind energy development area No. 2 of the Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan, which was established by Government Order No. 146 on 12 May 2022, designating this maritime zone west of Saaremaa as suitable for large‑scale wind energy development.
The Estonian Ministry of the Environment approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) programme for the Saare Wind Energy offshore wind farm on 18 October 2021, confirming the scope and methodology of the required environmental studies.
On 14 April 2021, the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority issued a notice launching the public display and public hearing for the Saare Wind Energy offshore wind farm EIA programme, inviting stakeholders to comment on the planned scope of environmental studies.
On 10 March 2021, Saare Wind Energy submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) programme for the offshore wind farm to the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, outlining planned studies and assessment scope required for the permitting process.
Van Oord, through Van Oord Renewable Finance III B.V, became a shareholder in Saare Wind Energy OÜ, acquiring a 30% equity stake alongside existing Estonian shareholders Kirsimäe OÜ and Gottlieb OÜ to support and co-develop the Saaremaa offshore wind farm.
Saare Wind Energy OÜ submitted an application for a development permit (superficies licence) to the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications on 9 April 2015 to encumber a public water body with the planned offshore wind farm west of Saaremaa.
Saare Wind Energy OÜ was established as the dedicated project company to develop the Saaremaa offshore wind farm west of Saaremaa, providing the corporate vehicle for permitting, technical development and future construction of the up-to-1,400 MW project.
Saare Wind Energy OÜ was registered on 4 November 2014, with the stated purpose of developing an offshore wind farm off the west coast of Saaremaa, marking the formal start of the project’s development company dedicated to this site.
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