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LVM Announces the Territories Available for the 2023 Auction for the Development of Wind Farms on State Forest Lands

A selection has been made from the land units managed and owned by JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM), and the territories available for the 2023 auction for the development of wind parks on State forest lands have been identified.

LVM offers 38 territories or auction parts with an area of 157 777 hectares for the 2023 auction of construction rights for the development of wind farms on State forest lands. Research is first to be carried out over the entire auction area within a period of 5 years; the actual construction of wind power plants after the research is expected on an area of approximately 500 hectares.

Applicants should submit their applications by 6 November (inclusive) to participate in the construction rights auction. The terms of the auction and the draft construction rights agreement are available on the LVM website www.lvm.lv, under the section Konkursi un izsoles (Tenders and Auctions). The auction is scheduled to take place electronically in the period from 22 November at 13.00 until 22 December at 13.00.

LVM invites potential participants to a public informative meeting, which will be held at LVM Zemgale region customer centre in Jelgava, Loka maģistrāle 2M, on 7 September from 13.00 until 15.00. During the meeting, LVM will outline the auction procedure, present the auction documentation, and answer questions.

Wind farms on LVM lands will not be built closer than 800 metres from cities, villages and residential and public buildings; they will neither be built in nature protection areas where the construction of wind farms is not compatible with laws and regulations of the Republic of Latvia. Likewise, wind farms on LVM lands will not be built in areas where the purpose of forest land management is nature protection and LVM has additionally identified the environmental values to be preserved, as well as the forest areas important for recreation and the places where cultural monuments are located.

On 13 June 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia approved amendments to Cabinet Regulation No. 350 “Regulations of land lease and construction rights of public entities” (Publiskas personas zemes nomas un apbūves tiesības noteikumi), which provides a legal framework for the development of wind farms on public lands. By increasing the volume of renewable energy production, Latvia is strengthening country's energy independence, which is essential for national security. Providing the opportunity to place wind turbines on forest lands creates prerequisites and opportunities for merchants to get involved in wind farm projects on public lands. The involvement of merchants 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.