Today, September 15, Utilitas inaugurated the biggest onshore wind park in Latvia. The wind park is located in Ventspils’ region, Tārgale parish.
The wind park consists of 14 modern turbines supplied by leading manufacturer Vestas and which will generate up to 155 GWh of green electricity per year, equaling the demand of more than 50,000 households. Tārgale wind farm will significantly increase the share of wind energy in Latvia, and it is also a significant step towards solving current energy, security, and climate challenges in the Baltic region.
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At the opening ceremony, Utilitas representatives were joined by contractors and partners, as well as the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Artūrs Toms Plešs, who emphasized the contribution of the Tārgale wind farm to Latvia’s renewable energy goals. “Russia’s bloody war in Ukraine and the resulting energy price hikes show that Latvia needs to achieve energy independence much sooner. The more power we generate locally, the less we will pay for electricity. Projects such as the Tārgale wind farm will definitely contribute to achieving these goals. The park will significantly increase the share of green energy in Latvia – it will be able to provide electricity to more than 50 000 households. I am glad that such large-scale projects are becoming a reality in Latvia, and the Ministry of the Environmental Protection and Regional Development – as we have done so far – will continue to ensure that bureaucratic obstacles to the implementation of such high-capacity projects are reduced, so I am confident that this will be a starting point for many more projects towards cheaper, more environmentally friendly and safer energy.”
“Rapid strengthening of the energy security is more important to the whole of Europe now than ever before. Wind energy has great potential in the Baltic region and its development is equally important for achieving climate goals as well as for ensuring energy security. Utilitas is taking quick and long steps to significantly increase the share of wind energy because we believe it is the fastest and most sustainable way to achieve energy independence in the region. That is why we are really pleased to open the biggest wind farm in Latvia today and we hope it will be the first of many,” says the CEO of Utilitas Group Priit Koit.
“Fourteen wind turbines with a capacity of 4.2 MW were installed at the Tārgale wind park. Together with the companies Nordecon Betoon, Verston Ehitus, Connecto Eesti, as well as several local Latvian companies, we were able to build a high-quality and modern wind farm. Wind continues to play a significant role in powering communities, and Vestas´s wind turbines offer high efficiency and reliability for a broad range of wind conditions,” explains a member of the board of Utilitas Wind and Lead Project Manager Renārs Urbanovičs.
The Ventspils County Council approved the detailed planning of the Tārgale wind park in 2011. The construction started in the spring of 2021 and was completed in the summer of 2022. The total cost of the investment is EUR 75 million. In the spring of this year, Utilitas Wind also acquired the Grobina wind farm with a total capacity of 20 MW and this now makes Utilitas Group the biggest wind power producer in Latvia. In Estonia, Utilitas is developing both offshore and onshore wind parks, and the construction of the first onshore wind park was started this summer. The goal of the company is to grow its production portfolio throughout the region and for this purpose, it cooperates with the state, local government, communities, landowners, and other parties.
Utilitas is the largest renewable energy producer and district heating operator in Estonia. In 2021, Utilitas produced 1.5 TWh of renewable energy from a total energy production of 2.3 TWh. Utilitas is moving towards carbon neutrality by building new renewable energy capacity in the region, investing in solar and wind power, and planning the first green hydrogen pilot project. The consolidated sales revenue of Utilitas was 161 million euros in 2021 and the volume of assets was 486 million euros. The company is owned by European Diversified Infrastructure Fund II, whose assets are managed by Igneo Infrastructure Partners (direct infrastructure management unit of First Sentier Investors Group), and companies owned by members of Utilitas management team.
