Offshore Wind Farms as Tourist Attractions
The Turn of the 20th and 21st Century Favors New Forms of Tourism
People interested in exploring new fields and locations are seeking ever more unique stimuli. Offshore wind farms may offer such experiences, at least according to Ignitis Renewables, the company responsible for the Curonian Nord project.
Industrial Tourism Thrives
Industrial tourism, also known as factory or industrial heritage tourism, involves visiting workplaces specializing in various industries. Typically, attractions include mines, steelworks, sugar refineries, mills, or breweries. Tours of such facilities provide insight into production cycles, technological processes, and fascinating details about creating specific products.
The aim of industrial tourism is primarily to popularize disappearing professions, but it doesn’t end there. Increasingly, owners of modern renewable energy facilities are embracing this form of tourist engagement. Examples include tours to offshore wind farms such as Anholt, Middelgrunden, Egmond aan Zee, Thorntonbank, or Nordsee Ost. Soon, this group may be joined by the first offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea.
Curonian Nord: A Milestone for Lithuania’s Energy Sector
Ignitis Renewables is currently building an offshore wind farm, the first of its kind in the Baltic states. The facility, named Curonian Nord, draws its name from the Curonian people who once inhabited the Baltic Sea coastlines.
The installation, with a capacity of 700 megawatts (MW), is expected to generate approximately 3 terawatt-hours (TWh) of green electricity annually. This would cover 25% of Lithuania’s current energy demand. Located at least 37 kilometers from the shoreline and around 50 kilometers from the port of Klaipėda, the project plans to install up to 55 turbines, each reaching up to 350 meters in height. The average annual wind speed in this area is 9–10 m/s, providing excellent conditions for generating clean energy.
Curonian Nord as an Industrial Tourism Attraction
Mykolas Bistrickas, Director of the Lithuanian Energy and Technology Museum, believes offshore wind energy could be a compelling model for developing industrial tourism. He highlights that ecology and renewable energy sources (RES) are increasingly relevant topics, leading people to seek firsthand knowledge. As an example, the museum he represents welcomed 145,000 visitors in 2023, over seven times more than five years earlier.
Anne-Marie Roikjær, Project Manager for Curonian Nord, shares this perspective, stating, “There are many examples in Lithuania and abroad where the energy sector and tourism create excellent synergies. The offshore wind farm also has tremendous potential to become an industrial tourism attraction. It will be impressive in scale and strategic importance.”
Once operational, the installation is expected to boost tourism services in Klaipėda and coastal resorts, positively impacting the region’s economy.
Source: Ignitis Renewables