The international green energy company “Ignitis renewables” consistently continues its sustainable and close cooperation with the communities that are near the renewable energy projects that the company plans to develop. The company aims to enable wind energy in the Klaipėda region as well. The possibility of developing a park of up to 35 wind power plants in Vēžaičiai and Endriejavos townships near the villages of Antkoptis, Girininkų, Kiaulakių, Pajuodupis, Jokulių, Samališkės, Žemgulių, Žadeikių, Tickinė is under consideration.
The representatives of “Ignitis renewables” introduced the residents of Vēžaičiai ward with the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report. Meetings were also held last Wednesday and Thursday at Antkoptis Community House and Žadeikiai Library.
Both live and online
Public familiarization of the public with the environmental impact assessment report of the wind power park planned in Vēžaičiai and Endriejavos townships took place in a hybrid way: a live meeting was held in the Vėžaičiai community hall, and an online video broadcast was also held.
The moderator of the meeting, the well-known meteorologist Silvestras Dikčius, introduced to the people of Kůraitis a team of specialists from the company “Ignitis renewables” and the Coastal Research and Planning Institute, which prepared the above-mentioned 300-page report. It was available for consultation and submission of proposals and questions in the meeting hall, as well as online a month before the meeting.
27 locations of wind power plants are expected in Vėžaičiai township, 8 locations in Endriejavo. The location of the transformer substation for connecting the wind farm park to the electricity transmission network is planned in the village of Antkoptis. The power of the planned wind power plants will reach up to 8 megawatts (MW).
The nearest living environment was evaluated in the report: mast height of wind power plants – 135, 166 or 180 meters; the distance to residents is maintained (4 times the mast height, ie 540, 664 or 720 meters). It should be noted that there are no residential buildings at this distance, and in the case of all alternatives, the existing requirements have been taken into account.
Only possibility is considered
Director of the Coastal Research and Planning Institute, Rosita Milerienė, emphasized the institute’s many years of experience in preparing wind power plant environmental impact assessments at the meeting: “With the help of licensed experts, reports are prepared very responsibly and in compliance with deadlines. We don’t have room for improvisations, it’s a process strictly regulated by law.” She drew the attention of those present that in Vėžaičiai and Endriejavos boroughs, 5 of the planned 40 wind power plants were chosen in inappropriate locations, so 35 power plants were left for the environmental impact assessment until the procedural stage, and the client, assessing the environmental impact, chose four alternatives with different power plant parameters. “For example, the first alternative is up to 221 m total height, the fourth alternative – 280 m. A specific model will be selected only when it is definitively known whether this activity is possible at this location. Then the next stage will be to select the planned parameters corresponding to specific models”, explained R. Milerienė.
The construction and operation stages are specifically evaluated in the report submitted for consideration. However, representatives of “Ignitis renewables” emphasized to the people of Krūra that this is not yet a project that the company plans to build, it is simply an opportunity to develop such a project under consideration.
Presentation of the EIA is only the initial stage in the implementation of the project. The report will be carefully examined and the Municipal Administration, the State Protected Areas Service, the National Public Health Center, the Department of Cultural Heritage and the Department of Fire Protection will participate in the process. After all stages, the Environmental Protection Agency makes a decisive conclusion.
R. Milerienė emphasized that active participation and comments are expected from the public when considering the EIA.
Multiple Assessment Objectives
Lina Žibienė, head of environmental protection and permits at Ignitis renewables, informed the audience that the objectives of the environmental impact assessment are several. First of all, it is necessary to determine and assess the impact of the planned wind farm on individual components of the environment, i.e. the surface of the earth and its depths, air, water, landscape and biodiversity, paying special attention to protected animal and plant species and territories.
According to L. Žibienė, it is also important to assess the impact on public health and other social aspects. The purpose of the EIA is to ensure a high level of environmental protection and the integration of environmental aspects into the implementation of the project, to provide measures to prevent, reduce or compensate possible negative effects, as well as to guarantee that the planned activities comply with the requirements of legal acts governing the impact on the environment, human health, cultural heritage and public safety, and good practice.
No negative effects were found
Public health specialist Aušra Kungienė explained that the physical factors of the planned economic activity were evaluated: noise, shadowing, ultrasound, electromagnetic field, vibration.
“In Lithuania, the noise hygiene norm sets limit values. For the study, the night limit value was chosen – 45 decibels at a distance of 245-561 m, and it was found that the noise level does not exceed the limit values of the established hygiene norm both in residential buildings and near them”, informed A. Kungienė.
Also, no effects related to the ultrasound emitted by the wind power plant were detected during the study that took place in the residential environment throughout the year. It is important to emphasize that the planned wind turbines will be equipped with an anti-wind vane system, which allows to reduce infrasound emission. By the way, the effect of the electromagnetic field analyzed at a height of 135 to 180 m was also not determined.
The shadow cast by the wind turbines also creates uncertainty for the residents. “Light sensors are integrated on the power plant, which record the light intensity and angle of incidence in real time. A computer program control system keeps track of whether there is a shading flicker on each homestead that is adjacent to the park. The system calculates when the annual limit of 8 hours is exceeded. value, it automatically shuts down the wind farm at expected flickers, and only starts it up after at least 10 min. lighting conditions no longer allow shadows to flicker. After applying shading reduction measures, the duration of shading in the living environment is not exceeded,” informed expert Viačeslav Jurkin.
The birds “rejected” 5 power plants
Landscape specialist Arūnas Balčiūnas explained that the landscape where the wind power plants are planned does not fall within the protected areas. The report notes that the impact on surface and underground water bodies in the Minija sub-basin, surface and underground water bodies is not foreseen.
Birds and bats may be affected during the installation of wind farms. The head of the ornithological team, Julius Morkūnas, explained that detailed observations were carried out to assess the impact, the aim of which is to provide appropriate measures to reduce the impact on biodiversity. 5 planned wind power plants were abandoned after taking these research results into account. A total of 14 experts participated in bird field studies, who observed almost 1.3 thousand birds. hours. Interestingly, 121 species of birds and 13 species of bats were recorded in different seasons during the research period from spring to autumn, 131,879 flying birds and 152,320 resting birds were counted, most of which are migrants.
Financial opportunities open up
Emilija Musteikytė, community project coordinator of the company “Ignitis renewables”, reminded that associations located near wind power parks can apply for direct financial support provided by the business developer to communities, culture, and educational institutions. They can do this by writing projects for support and submitting them directly to Ignitis renewables.
“The beginning of cooperation is informal educational projects: partnership, career opportunities, participation in community celebrations. We explain that we provide financial support to communities once the construction of power plants begins. We have been using this model for two years. The total amount of support for community welfare improvement projects in 2023. In Lithuania, it reached over 350 thousand. euros”, said E. Musteikytė.
In addition, the package of changes to the laws, which aims to implement the smooth and rapid development of green energy, also called the “Breakthrough package”, provides for a contribution to communities, which will have to be paid by producers who produce electricity in wind farms. This support is intended for community organizations within 15 km of the wind farm and residents within 5 km.
The company strives for open cooperation
The representatives of the company “Ignitis renewables” emphasized to the residents of Vēžaičiai that they see local communities as partners who can help achieve the goals of green transformation in Lithuania, and also guaranteed the pursuit of a sustainable and friendly neighborhood with the public. “Change is always unsettling. However, we are convinced that Vēžaičiai and Endriejavos boroughs have great opportunity potential, are creative and proactive. A recent representative survey showed that the residents of the old townships understand the importance of green energy and are aware of the aspects of climate change,” said Ilma Cikanaitė, representative of “Ignitis renewables”.
Climate change is a threat that can be combated by replacing traditional energy sources with the production of renewable resources. This is the opinion of more and more residents of Lithuania, including the residents of Vėžaičiai and Endriejavos wards of Klaipėda district. In these boroughs, 85 percent of the population agree that climate change is taking place in the world, and 65 percent believes that the production of energy from renewable sources is important in stopping it. Most of the residents of Vēžaičiai and Endriejavos boroughs support the development of wind and solar power parks in their neighborhood.
Alvydas Mockus, the elder of Vēžaičiai seniūnija, in the presentation of the EIA, drew attention to the 8 comments of particular concern to the residents submitted to the drafters of the report. decision not to develop wind farms in the area. After a discussion on whether the Council’s decision or the Renewable Energy Law adopted by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania last year is superior, the EIA organizers promised the council to answer the questions in detail in writing.
On the initiative of “Ignitis renewables”, KOG Institute of Marketing and Communication Sciences conducted a representative survey of residents of Vēžaičiai and Endriejavos wards. In October-November 2023, 250 residents over the age of 16 were interviewed during live meetings.
The data of this survey also reveal that 81 percent the inhabitants of the Klaipėda district of these wards favor the development of renewable energy in Lithuania.
“Ignitis renewables” plans to build a park of 35 wind power plants, the power of which could reach up to 250 MW, in Vēžaičiai and Endriejavos townships.
“Ignitis renewables” is an international green energy company operating in three Baltic countries and Poland. It is responsible for the development of onshore and offshore wind power plants, solar energy projects, electricity conversion and storage technologies. By developing new projects, the company is implementing the strategic goal of the entire Ignitis Group to reach 4-5 gigawatts (GW) of installed green and flexible power by 2030.
Prepared by Reda MILVYDIENĖ
Andrias KUNDROTS photo
Uzsak.
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– 2024-04-08 18:18:40
