AUGSTKALNI is a wind farm project located approx. 110 km north-east from Riga, in Smiltene Municipality, Latvia. It lies between the villages of Launkalne and Drusti.  The wind farm will consist of 16 new high-capacity wind turbines with nominal capacity of 7 MW each.

The project is owned by managed by Taaleri Energia and Lords LB on a 50-50 basis. Taaleri Energia is a Finnish renewable energy fund manager with one of the largest and capable energy renewable energy investment teams in Europe. The team manages a 9,3 GW portfolio of wind, solar PV and energy storage project in Europe and the USA. Lords LB is a Lithuanian fund manager with strong presence in the Baltic market and has made several renewable energy investments e.g. in Poland and Lithuania.

The project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was approved, and EIA decision was issued by the State Environmental Bureau in October 2023. The local plan was approved by the municipality of Smiltene in May 2023. The construction of the wind farm will be started in 2025 and the goal is to have all wind turbines operational by end of 2026.

Construction time schedule

Substation

Construction of the substation began in 2025 and will continue through summer 2026. Electrification is scheduled for summer 2026.

Civil Works

Civil works will commence in July 2025 with preparatory activities and the construction of the site office area. In August, work will begin on access roads, drainage, and cabling, followed by wind turbine area preparation and foundation construction in September. Civil works are expected to continue until March 2026, at which point the site will be ready for wind turbine deliveries and installation.

Wind Turbine Installations

Delivery of wind turbine components will start in early May 2026 and continue through the end of June 2026. Each wind turbine consists delivery of 13 main components: nacelle, hub, drivetrain, three blades, and seven tower sections.

Installation will begin in mid-May with the pre-erection of tower sections using a smaller crane, followed by main erection using main cranes. All turbines are expected to be erected by August–September 2026. Installation and commissioning will follow, with the first turbines being electrified in August and the first kilowatts fed into the grid in September. The goal is to have all wind turbines operational by the end of 2026.