The company is developing the first offshore wind farm in the Baltic states by the name of Curonian Nord. This project will contribute to the strengthening of Lithuania’s energy independence, promote the economy of the coastal region and the entire country and support local communities, Ignitis Renewables said in a press release on Tuesday.
Children of a Palanga kindergarten, Ąžuoliukas, were the first to try this programme. They had the opportunity to visit the beach, where they learned about the principles, construction processes and benefits of offshore wind farms. The educational programme included hands-on activities, where children built small wind turbine models, observed how they work and learned about the electricity generation using offshore wind.
This education initiative will continue to travel the Lithuania's coastal region with the aim of inspiring the younger generation to take an interest in engineering, technology and renewable energy and, in particular, offshore electricity generation. It will also make the communities more informed, spread the information about offshore wind and the Curonian Nord project.
Education is one of the main goals of the company and a way to strengthen the cooperation with local communities. Ignitis Renewables supports the #EnergySmartSTART programme, which is designed for children, students and anyone who is interested in energy. Energy companies that support the programme are implementing various initiatives, organise excursions, meetings with professionals, set up dedicated scholarships and promote career opportunities in the energy sector.
The company aims to start cooperating with communities located near the offshore wind farm already, even though the project is still in the planning phase. This opens up opportunities to find the best solutions during the construction and operational phases of the project that empower the communities, improve their quality of life and have a positive impact on the environment surrounding the wind farm.
The Curonian Nord offshore wind farm, with a capacity of up to 700 megawatts (MW), will generate around 3 terawatt-hours (TWh) of green electricity per year, which would cover around a quarter of Lithuania's current electricity demand. The wind farm will cover an area of about 120 square kilometres in the Baltic Sea and will be positioned least 37 km away from the shore and about 50 km from the Port of Klaipėda. The offshore wind farm is expected to become operational around 2030.