Installation of wind turbines at the Utilitas Wind Tārgale wind park is completed

Utilitas, Estonia’s largest renewable energy producer, completed the installation of the Tārgale wind park in the Ventspils region of Latvia. During the summer, the wind turbines will be tested, and the full-capacity launch of the park is planned in the autumn.

“Rapid strengthening of the energy security is more important to the whole of Europe now than ever before. Wind energy has great potential in the Baltic region and its development is equally important for achieving the climate goals as well as for ensuring energy security. Utilitas is taking quick and long steps to significantly increase the share of wind energy in the region,” explained Rene Tammist, Member of the Management Board of Utilitas Wind.

Fourteen wind turbines with a capacity of 4.2 MW were installed at the Tārgale wind farm. The estimated annual production of the entire wind park will be 155 GWh, which is enough to meet the annual energy needs of more than 50,000 households and makes it the most productive wind park in Latvia. The wind turbines were supplied by Vestas, the world’s leading manufacturer of wind turbines, and the peak height of their blades is 152 meters. The total cost of the investment is EUR 70 million. The main contractor of the project was the construction company OÜ Nordecon Betoon in partnership  with Verston OÜ and Connecto Eesti AS, and several local companies and subcontractors were also involved.

Utilitas Wind also acquired one of the largest wind parks in Latvia already in operation in spring – the Grobina wind farm with 33 wind turbines, with a total capacity of 20 MW. The goal of the company is to grow its production portfolio throughout the region and for this purpose it cooperates with the state, local government, communities, landowners and other parties.

In Estonia, Utilitas is developing both offshore and onshore wind parks, and the construction of the first onshore wind farms is expected to start already this year. In the case of the Saare-Liivi offshore wind park planned for the Gulf of Riga, the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority of Estonia has started the building permit procedure and an environmental impact assessment has begun. The design and construction of the offshore wind park is expected to take place in 2025-2027.

Utilitas is the largest renewable energy producer and district heating company in Estonia. In 2021, Utilitas produced 1.7 TWh of heat and 330 GWh of electricity. Utilitas is moving towards carbon neutrality by building new renewable energy capacity in the region, investing in solar and wind power, and also planning the first green hydrogen pilot project. The consolidated sales revenue of Utilitas was 161 million euros in 2021 and the volume of assets was 486 million euros. The company is owned by European Diversified Infrastructure Fund II, whose assets are managed by First Sentier Investors, and companies owned by members of Utilitas management team.