Wedoany.com Report-Oct. 12, Lithuania’s National Energy Regulatory Council (NERC) announced that the country’s second offshore wind tender has been declared invalid after receiving only one bid. The tender, intended for the development of a 700-megawatt offshore wind project, did not satisfy the legal requirement of having at least two participants under Lithuania’s Law on Renewable Energy.

The country’s government plans to develop two offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of 1.4GW.

The tender process was initially launched on 9 June 2023, with the application period open until 8 September 2023. However, the Lithuanian government temporarily suspended the process, aiming to improve the likelihood of a successful outcome. The suspension was reportedly due to reduced market activity during the mid-year months.

Following the pause, the tender resumed on 6 October 2025, with applications open for a single day. Ignitis Renewables, a subsidiary of Ignitis Grupe, submitted the only bid. As the sole participant, the company’s application was insufficient to meet the minimum competition criteria required by national regulations.

In July 2023, Ignitis Renewables, in partnership with Ocean Winds—a joint venture between Engie and EDP Renewables—won Lithuania’s first offshore wind tender. The consortium had offered a development fee of €20 million ($22.02 million), securing provisional winner status for that project.

The tender committee has now recommended that NERC officially declare the second tender invalid. A formal resolution confirming this outcome is expected to be passed at the next NERC meeting. According to NERC, the decision on whether to launch a new tender will rest with the Lithuanian government.

As the regulatory body, NERC is responsible for overseeing the tendering process, which includes preparing the bidding conditions, managing the operations of the tender committee, and verifying the results. The committee consists of representatives from NERC, the Ministry of Energy, the Competition Council, the Lithuanian Energy Agency, Vilnius University, and Kaunas University of Technology.

Lithuania’s government plans to develop two offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 1.4 gigawatts as part of its National Energy Independence Strategy. These projects are expected to play a key role in strengthening the country’s energy security, expanding the renewable energy share in the national power mix, and supporting the transition toward a low-carbon economy.

The continuation and completion of the second tender are also necessary to align with the renewable energy support framework approved by the European Commission. The government is expected to review the reasons behind the limited market participation before determining a timeline for relaunching the process.

The planned offshore wind developments are seen as central to Lithuania’s long-term energy strategy, helping to diversify its electricity generation sources and reduce dependence on imported energy.