For the development of offshore wind farms, a necessary initial location selection study was conducted, in which a total of four potential offshore wind farm areas were analyzed within the marine spatial planning areas established for wind energy development, two of which are in Estonian marine areas and two in Latvian marine areas.
Among the seventeen evaluated criteria, seabed geology, wind and ice conditions, ship traffic and professional fishing intensity, and several environmental impact factors including habitats for birds, fish, seals, and bats were analyzed in all pre-selected locations, based on which the most suitable marine areas in Estonian and Latvian waters were found for joint offshore wind farm projects.
