Just two developers bid in Lithuania’s first offshore wind tender – increasing the risk of the auction being declared void – despite a number of companies expressing interest in the nascent market.
The state energy regulatory council VERT wil now assess whether the two bidders meet its requirements before looking to announce a winner in early September.
However, a VERT spokesperson told Windpower Monthly that if one of the bidders does not meet its requirements then the tender will be considered unsuccessful and voided. The government would then need to call a new tender.
Multiple companies – including renewables giant Ørsted, German utility RWE, Danish developer European Energy and Polish oil refiner PKN Orlen – had expressed interest in the nascent Lithuanian offshore wind market.
It is unclear which companies bid in the country’s subsidy-free tender.
Lithuania plans to hold a second offshore wind tender – using a contract for difference support mechanism – later this year, but is yet to secure European Commission approval for the auction.
