OREANDA-NEWS. On May 13, 2008 Eesti Energia laid cornerstone for Aulepa Wind Farm in Noarootsi rural municipality in Laane County. The largest wind farm in the Baltic States will be completed in 2009, reported the press-centre of Eesti Energia.

“The development of Aulepa Wind Farm is an important step in the implementation of the production strategy of the Eesti Energia Group,” said Ando Leppiman, Director of the unit for renewable energy at Eesti Energia, underlying the importance of the project. “On the background of increasingly tightening environmental requirements, we wish to offer our customers high quality energy generated from several sources of energy, and reduce the environmental impact of the energy sector,” added Leppiman.

The capacity of the Aulepa Wind Farm will be 39 MW and 13 windmills of Finnish manufacturer WindWind OY will be set up to this end. The annual production of the wind farm (more than 100 GWh) will cover 1,3 % of the final consumption of electricity in Estonia and this will prevent approximately 120 000 tons of CO2 from being emitted. (By covering 20 000 kilometres, a small passenger car emits approximately 3 tons of CO2).

The total cost of the Aulepa Wind Farm is nearly 900 million kroons and it is being financed from Eesti Energia’s own resources.

“The works of the building of the wind farm commenced in January with the construction of access roads and assembly sites. By now, the phase of the construction of the foundations of windmills and concrete towers has been reached. The construction of the substation of the wind farm has also begun,” said Sven Aasa, Member of the Management Board of and Project Manager at Aulepa Tuulepargid OU. “The cooperation with Noarootsi rural municipality has been very good throughout the project,” Aasa added.

The other major ongoing renewable energy projects of Eesti Energia are the construction of a wind farm on a closed ash-field of the Baltic Power Station, the construction of a waste incineration-fuelled heat and power cogeneration block in the Iru Power Plant and the construction of a biofuels-based thermal power station in Ahtme.

Juhan Parts, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications, Sandor Liive, the Chairman of the Management Board of Eesti Energia, manufacturing company of windmills WinWind OY, and representatives of Noarootsi rural municipality will be participating in the ceremonial event of the cornerstone laying.