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Estonia

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I. National statistics

Basics
Area (km²): 45.227
Population (Mio.): 1,347
Population density: 29,783

National government, economy and structure of energy sources
Governing parties: central
GNP (Gross National Product per capita): 139150 (Mio EEK GDP)
Unemployment rate (%): 9,5

Fossil fuels (%): 99
Nuclear energy (%): 0
Renewable energy (%): 1

II. National status of wind energy

Accumulated number of turbines and installed capacity:

1992: 0 (0)
1993: 0 (0)
1994: 0 (0)
1995: 0 (0)
1996: 0 (0)
1997: 1 (0,15)
1998: 1 (0,15)
1999: 1 (0,15)
2000: 1 (0,15)
2001: 1 (0,15)
2002: 5 (2,24)
2003: 6 (2,7)
2004: 11 (5,2)
2005: 27 (31,6)

Description of the present status and future national energy policy in relation to wind energy (i.e. political objectives/ subsidy and investment policy/ economic effects/ technical or other limits/ public acceptance/ weak points)

The share of renewable energy sources (RES) in final electricity consumption is currently ca. 1,5% incl. the recently inaugurated Pakri 18,4 MW wind farm.

The Estonian Parliament adopted in December 2004 the State Long Term Development Plan for the Fuel and Energy Sector up to 2015 that sets a goal of achieve a 5,1% share of renewable energy sources (RES) in final electricity consumption by year 2010 (in line with the EU renewables directive). The plan prioritizes biomass and wind power to reach the goal. It also states that "…taken today's state of the electricity grid it is possible to install ca. 90-100 MW of wind power. The technical limit for installing wind turbine generators is 400-500 MW but it requires investments in the electricity grid and power plants in order to guarantee wind power transmission, regulation and necessary reserves".
In accordance with the draft Development Plan for the Electricity Sector wind should indicatively contribute to 2,2%, biofuels to 2,5% and other sources to 0,4% of final consumption by year 2010. This equals to approx. 200 GWh of wind power generated electricity.

Electricity Market Act sets out an obligation to purchase electricity generated from wind power until 2015. An amendment to the act in Dec. 2004 froze the price at level of 81 cents/kWh (ca. 5,1 Euro cents) and limited the purchase obligation to network losses of the grid operator. Earlier the price was linked to the sales price of the two major oil-shale based power plants.
Another amendment of the act has been recently (in September 2005) drafted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications that foresees to revise the support scheme to RES-E, to establish a quantitative limit of 200 GWh to wind power capacity eligible for the support and to introduce a balance-sharing obligation to wind power plants.

Estonia supports the preparation of wind power plants under the Kyoto Joint Implementation scheme but due to lack of administrative capacity, the procedure is very time-consuming and thus involves high transaction costs. Furthermore, Estonia charges a 25% "income tax" on income from sale of CO2-reductions prior to 2008.

Grid connection of wind turbine installations is regulated by a company standard of national utility Eesti Energia AS "Technical requirements for connecting wind turbine installations to the power network" that was prepared on basis of the draft IEC 61400-21, Ed.1 standard (2000). Demands for wind turbine connection are thus similar to demands of western European countries and are in more detail also determined in the national Grid Code. All costs for grid connection have to be paid by the developer while 90% of the estimated costs have to be prepaid.

Characteristic of the most significant national wind park project:
Estonia's by far largest Pakri 18,4 MW wind farm, that delivers ca. 1% of Estonia's net electricity consumption, was successfully inaugurated in June 2005 as the first wind power project in Europe that became feasible due to the sale of reduced CO2 emissions under the JI scheme of the Kyoto Protocol. More information: www.tuulepargid.ee/pakri

Offshore activities and projects:
Do not have.

Share of manufacturers (%):
...

III. Legal issues and national planning status related to wind energy

Relevant legal issues and description of the national wind energy planning status (i.e. national/ regional/ municipal planning conceptions/ weak points)
According to the Planning Act (effective since January 2003), the planning system in Estonia is four level - National planning, County planning, (Municipal) Comprehensive planning and Detailed planning. On the one hand the planning system is hierarchic, i.e. the more detailed plan has to observe the valid more general plan. On the other - interactive, i.e. in case a more detailed plan requires modification of a more general plan, the necessary change comes into effect with enforcement of the more detailed plan. A Detailed plan is a plan that is prepared for a smaller part of a town municipality and is the basis for building activities in the short term. The local municipality organises the production of the plan and communication with the public during the planning process. The municipality can transfer organisation and financing of detailed planning to the owner of the land under planning or to a person interested in plan preparation with conclusion of a contract. This has also been a common practice in Estonia. The preparation of the Detailed plan is public. It has to be produced in cooperation with the owners of immovable property and inhabitants of the area as well as other stakeholders. Preparation of the plan includes minimum one public discussion and a two-week public display after the adoption of the plan by the local government. In addition, the plan requires approval of corresponding sectoral authorities. Any written suggestions and comments during the public display will be answered by the local municipality, which in this case will also organise a new public discussion. Possible planning disputes will be settled by the county governor. If no objections to the plan arise during the public display, the plan will be enforced by the municipal council.