Hydrometeorological measurements start in Baltic Sea in preparation for wind farm

VILNIUS – Floating stations are being anchored in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday to carry out hydrometeorological measurements as Lithuania prepares to build its first offshore wind farm, the Lithuanian Energy Agency said.

The equipment, delivered and installed by Spain's Eolos Floating Lidar Solutions, will provide data on wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, air temperature and relative humidity, peak period of the wave spectrum, maximum wave height, strength and direction of currents, and water level for one year.

The agency says the results of the measurements will be critical for offshore wind farm developers to select turbine models with the appropriate capacity, and assess their ability to generate power and their viability in the maritime environment.

Eolos has carried out such measurements for a number of offshore wind projects in France, the UK, Poland, Italy and Belgium.

The Lithuanian Energy Ministry plans to hold its first auction for an offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea in 2023, with the winning bidder to be selected in early 2024.

The wind farm with a capacity of 700 megawatts (MW) is expected to be operational around 2030.