Viru-Nigula windfarm

1. Short description
2. Technical information
3. Site story

1. Short description

1.1. Location

Lääne-Viru County. Viru-Nigula parish. Tüükri village. 120 km east of Tallinn in the direction of Narva and St. Petersburg.
The wind park is located 6 km from the coastline of the Finnish Gulf on an exposed and high plateau, 60 m above sea level.

1.2. History

Developing of the wind park started some three years ago by a German developer, a private company Intercon Energy OÜ, which is registered in Estonia and belongs to Finnish and German natural persons. All rights of the project have been transferred to a special purpose company – OÜ Viru-Nigula Tuulepark (Viru-Nigula Windpark Ltd), registered in the Commercial Register on 12th November 2004. Its main field of activity is wind power production.

Having successfully completed all the major preparation works (environmental impact assessment, area planning, design documentation, building permit, 1 year on-site wind measurement at the height of 70/55/30 m, power production studies, grid connection agreement, power purchase agreement, land lease agreements, turn-key agreement with wind turbine supplier Winwind), the wind turbines are being erected now. The wind park will be completed in January 2007.

1.3. Investments and finances

In May 2005 Nordic renewable energy company Vardar Eurus AS acquired 100% of the shares of Viru-Nigula wind park. Down payments for wind turbines and grid connection were made immediately. In 2005 a loan from AS Vardar Eurus was the main means that helped finance the company’s operations.

The project’s total investment is EUR 26.1 million.

Vardar Eurus is a joint venture owned by of a Norwegian power company Vardar AS (70%) and NEFCO (30%). Vardar Eurus is also the owner of the biggest operational wind park in Estonia – Pakri wind park (18,4 MW, www.pakri-tp.ee).

1.4. Production of electricity

Eight turbines will be erected, each with a capacity of 3 MW. The total capacity of the wind park will be 24 MW. The annual production of the wind park is predicted to be 64,400 MWh.

2. Technical information

2.1. Technical data of WinWinD WWD-3 wind turbine.

3. Site story

3.1. Viru-Nigula

Viru-Nigula, which covers 234 km², is the most eastern parish of Lääne-Viru County. Viru-Nigula lies on the coast of the Finnish Gulf. The closest town is Kunda. Neighbouring parishes are Aseri, Sonda, Rägavere, Sõmeru, Haljala and Vihula. Tallinn-Narva road passes through the parish. The distance between Viru-Nigula and Tallinn is 120 km.
Viru-Nigula parish is situated on the territories of former Mahu, Kunda-Malla and partly Haljala parishes. In 1945 parishes were liquidated. In May 1945 Viru-Nigula village soviet was formed. Viru-Nigula gained the status of parish on 12th December 1991.
Mahu (Maum, Maholm) was the old name of the ancient parish until replaced with the name Viru-Nigula. Historic Mahu beach stretches from Toolse to Aseri. Local people have been involved in coastal trade for centuries.
The area of Padaoru is well known for its scenic nature, Baltic Germans called the region Estonia’s Switzerland. A site of an ancient settlement Koila is on the left shore of the River Pada. There is a site of an ancient settlement, cult stones and burial mounds in Koila. In the 13th century Koila (Kokael) with its 40 land plots was one of the biggest villages in Virumaa. 
Lammasmägi, 4 km south of Kunda, is one of the oldest settlement sites in Estonia. During the last two ice ages Lammasmägi was an island in a lake. As water receded, the island became a hill on a soggy plain. Bones and stone items, animal bones and fireplaces have been found during archaeological digs in the area of Lammasmägi. As Kunda is rich in findings, the other Mesolithic findings in the Baltic countries and northwestern part of Russia were considered to belong to the Kunda culture.
Abundant archaeological and architectural memorials tell us about the life of people in Viru-Nigula area in the distant past. In total there are 324 cultural memorials.
There are also three manors that have survived on Viru-Nigula territory:

• Vasta manor was built towards the end of the 18th century. The manor has housed a school since 1940. The manor has been renovated for three years now with the aim to make the manor and surrounding buildings meet the requirements set for a child friendly environment. There is a manager’s house near the manor in the shade of chestnut trees. In 1833 Fr. R. Kreutzwald married in the mentioned house.
• Malla manor was first mentioned in 1443. The manor house (built at the end of the 19th century) was a school during the time of independence. Currently the manor is in private ownership. The house is being renovated now.
• Unukse manor was used as a schoolhouse after the agrarian reform (1921–1945). Today the building is in private ownership.
  

Centre of the current parish is Viru-Nigula village. The village has a community house, the kindergarten of Vasta School, a library, a civic centre, a sports hall, a museum, a post-office and a general practitioner. As of 1st January 2006, 1418 people lived in Viru-Nigula parish, of which 358 in Viru-Nigula village.