The resistance to the wind farm is high, stressed Ingars Jaunzems from around Pāvilosta: “This wind farm is grandiose and ambitious in its size. There is one that our community will notice from everywhere – Pāvilosta, Grobiņa, Liepāja, Aizpute – from everywhere. Wind turbines are planned at 252 meters, the highest in the world at this time.”
Raitis Borgs, whose house could be one kilometer away from a wind turbine, had also arrived for the public consultation. He has moved to Saka from Chicago, USA. “The reason I live in a farmhouse, I want the country quiet, that beautiful view, if they put an industrial park under my nose in the countryside next to me, so why did I walk away from the city?” Borgs said.
Horna, a resident of Pāvilosta, mentioned the unique values of nature and also the landscape importance. She was joined by others who worry about the environmental impact and ancestral heritage.
An environmental expert involved in the project, who co-authored an environmental impact assessment report with developers, Inga Gavena explained that the closest wind turbine was about 800 meters from the Grīņu Reserve. Ornithologists, bat researchers, and others will continue to monitor, but a number of things in the project have been corrected as part of the research.
Those arguments were not be taken seriously by those present and they continued to express blatant distrust of the project during the public consultation.
Meanwhile, the board Member of the developer “K2 Ventum”, electrical engineer Agris Kalniņš, explained to Latvian Radio that the project started four years ago when suitable locations were sought for the construction of the wind farm.
'We can build up to 61 wind turbines. The maximum height is being evaluated to understand what the impact will be. The height has not yet been defined, a height of 230 and 250 meters has been studied,” said Kalniņš.
Kalnins explained that the opinion of the Environment State Bureau is yet to be obtained and then the local government has to give its final word, only then development of the building design could be commenced, envisaging construction of the wind farm itself in 2025. Citizens may submit their questions and objections to this plan to the performers of the wind farm intention within seven days.
