An auction was held in Riga for research areas for setting up wind farms in state forest lands. After the auction, the Ministry of Agriculture will review the results and, in the case of a positive decision, will authorize LVM to conclude building rights contracts with the winner of the relevant part of the auction for 30 years. After the results are confirmed, information about the auction winners in each part of the auction will be published on the LVM website. Construction right contracts are planned to be concluded in the first months of 2024.
From land units managed by LVM, in accordance with Cabinet of Ministers regulations of June 19, 2018 no. 350 and LVM guidelines, a selection was made and the territories available in the 2023 auction for the development of wind farms in state forest lands were determined. In the building rights auction, 38 territories or auction parts were offered with a total exploration territory of 157,777 hectares.
In the territories for which construction right contracts will be concluded with the winners of the auction part, a study of the entire auction area will first be carried out within five years, but the actual construction of wind power plants after the study is expected on an area of approximately 1 hectare for each wind power plant. The area to be built will be determined only after the research, meanwhile, throughout the research and design period, LVM will continue land management in these areas.
According to the Law “On Environmental Impact Assessment”, before designing a wind farm, the developer is obliged to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or a preliminary assessment of the impact. During this, the best possible location of the wind farm is determined in order to minimize the possible impact on the environment. During the EIA process, detailed assessments of other aspects are also carried out – for example, noise and flicker modeling, landscape and visual impact modeling, biological diversity, cultural and historical values, air quality, etc.
Wind parks on LVM lands will not be built in areas where the purpose of forest land management is nature protection and LVM has additionally determined protection for environmental values to be preserved, as well as in forest areas important for residents’ recreation and in places where cultural monuments are located.
On June 13, 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia approved amendments to Cabinet of Ministers regulations no. 350 “Regulations of land lease and building rights of public entities”, which provides legal framework for the development of wind farms on public lands. By increasing the amount of renewable energy production, Latvia is strengthening the country’s energy independence, which is essential for national security. Providing the opportunity to place wind turbines in forest lands creates prerequisites and opportunities for businessmen to get involved in wind park projects on public lands. The involvement of businessmen will ensure a significant increase in the capacity of wind farms in the next 10 years, increasing the total amount of electricity produced in Latvia.
2023-12-25 05:44:00
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