"Everything needs to be reviewed as these commitments are large enough. But the essential thing, at least this is my stance, is that it (the project – ELTA) must not and cannot be developed on a private initiative, because then you have to pay very dearly. When you give a monopoly to somebody, or an exclusive right to somebody else, even to a private producer, then consumers still pay because the conditions change," Skvernelis told Žinių radijas on Wednesday.
He stressed that the decision on the terms of the tender announced in November was taken at the end of the term of the previous Seimas. The Ministry of Energy is assessing the economic benefits now and will take the final decision with the Government, he said.
"The point is that such mega-projects can be developed today by state-owned enterprises, which is what state-owned enterprises are set up for. (...) Those costs must not be socialised, that is to say, they must not be passed on to the consumer. This is why we have made it possible for state-owned enterprises to choose both sources of investment and access capital," Skvernelis said.
The second tender to select a contractor for the offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea will close in the summer. The first tender for the 700 MW offshore wind farm took place in 2023. It was won by Ignitis Renewables, company of Ignitis state energy group.