The offshore wind project formerly known as Saare 1 has been renamed Avara, marking a new phase in the development of what could become Estonia’s first floating wind farm, developer Oxan Energy and its partners said on Tuesday.
The 88-square-kilometre project, located about 60 kilometres off the west coast of Saaremaa Island, is planned to deliver up to 900 megawatts (MW) of capacity — enough to supply nearly half of Estonia’s electricity demand, or around 3.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually, according to Oxan Energy, Ocean Connect Energy and SNOW.
The name Avara, derived from the Estonian word for “open” or “vast,” reflects the project’s ambition and forward-looking design, the consortium said.
“Avara offshore wind farm has a huge potential to drive innovation forward and to become the first floating offshore wind farm in the Baltics,” said Nikon Vidjajev, development director of the Avara project.
The developers said the project could integrate both floating and bottom-fixed turbine technologies in water depths ranging from 35 to 85 metres. Avara is currently in the permitting and environmental assessment stage initiated by Estonian authorities in June 2025.
Project partners said current efforts are focused on completing the environmental impact assessment programme, refining the technical design, and continuing dialogue with local communities and European stakeholders.
Beyond its engineering goals, the Avara project aims to promote regional collaboration and strengthen the Baltic Sea’s role in Europe’s broader clean energy transition, the consortium said.
