According to the ministry, the goal is to create such conditions that the windfarm project in the Baltic Sea would have the least impact on final prices for electricity paid by consumers.
Based on the proposal, a new competition would have to be organised no later than within 180 calendar days since information about it is published on the website of the National Energy Regulatory Council (VERT). The registration of participants would last 90 days, the winner would be announced in 60 days with the possibility to extend this period for 30 days.
Earlier, Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas stated that his ministry would review competition conditions within a month. Several options were considered, to continue the competition without changes, to stop it completely or, as finally decided, to alter competition conditions.
The Seimas Committee on Audit and the Commission for Energy and Sustainable Development had too suggested suspending the competition until a cost-benefit analysis is conducted.
Previously parliament simplified conditions for the competition of the second offshore windfarm. It allowed the winner to be selected from the sole company participating in the tender. A 15-year state aid period was also set to cover the price difference: if electricity price on the market was lower, the state would cover the price difference for the investor, but if the price on the market was higher, the investor would have to return the difference. This state support mechanism would have to be harmonised with the European Commission.
The political group of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) opposes suspending the competition. It stresses that the project would ensure Lithuania’s energy independence and substantially reduce electricity prices for consumers, as well as guarantee the security of electricity supply. The party says the project has become a "tool of destructive political games that poses a threat to Lithuania’s energy security".
The competition for the second offshore windfarm was announced on 18 November 2024. The current conditions set electricity sale price range from EUR 75 to EUR 125 per MWh.
It is estimated that two windfarms in the Baltic Sea would satisfy around half of Lithuania’s electricity consumption demand.
State-owned company group Ignitis had announced that it would participate in the second competition, while Polish energy company group Orlen was considering this as well.
The National Energy Independence Strategy foresees that by 2030 Lithuania would develop two 1.4 MW capacity offshore windfarms, whereas by 2050 windfarm capacity would have to increase to 4.5 GW.