PV is expected to become the mainstream of Latvia's energy market
According to statistics released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Eastern European country of Latvia has installed only 54MW of photovoltaic system capacity to date. Latvian energy expert Reinis Aboltin said the figure was small compared to other countries in the Baltic region. However, if Latvia finds suitable opportunities to deploy utility-scale PV systems, PV systems will become mainstream in its renewable energy generation market.
Aboltin said Latvia was lagging behind its Baltic neighbors in installing almost all renewable energy generation facilities, especially photovoltaic systems, and said the situation was "tragic". According to data released by IRENA, the cumulative installed PV system capacity in Latvia by the end of 2023 will be only 54MW, a fraction of that in Estonia (535MW) and Lithuania (568MW).
However, Aboltin noted that photovoltaic and wind power facilities could become mainstream in Latvia's energy market. According to a European Parliament briefing paper published by Latvia, the country has yet to tap the potential of photovoltaic power generation.
Increased investor confidence has been key to this success, he said.
Latvia now gets one-third of its energy from renewable sources, and its share of renewable power generation is set to increase rapidly. According to a research report, until 2021, the most important source of electricity in Latvia will be gas-fired thermal power plants, followed by hydroelectric facilities. The report's authors noted that the installed capacity of wind power facilities and photovoltaic systems in the country until 2022 is "deficient."
In May, Latvian renewable Energy developer PurpleGreen Energy announced plans to build a 400MW photovoltaic plant in Balvi, in the northern region near the Russian border. Earlier, Danish Energy developer European Energy announced that it is currently developing a 155MW photovoltaic plant in Brocselni, in the Saldus region in the west of the country.
