"Laflora" wind park – a catalyst for the development of the Zemgale region

With the votes from the Jelgava municipal council and the Jelgava state city council approving the construction of the "Laflora" wind park in the 763-hectare Kaigu peat bog, the green light has been given not only for renewable energy production with a total capacity of 90 MW—which will be capable of generating 5% of Latvia's total annual electricity consumption—but also for achieving the ambitious climate neutrality goals of the European Green Deal.

Thanks to the wind park and the energy produced there, the Kaigu bog will be able to be reborn in a new guise, creating an oasis of renewable energy, while also recultivating depleted peat extraction areas and offsetting emissions generated by the company's core operations, while continuing to produce peat products with added value in a more sustainable way. The Kaigu bog industrial zone will be complemented by greenhouse complexes for growing vegetables, forest seedlings, and ornamental crops, thereby highlighting the potential of Latvia's horticultural and forestry sectors and promoting the local consumption of peat. Thanks to the excellent cooperation with the city and municipality of Jelgava, the industrial zone could become a business infrastructure facility of regional importance, attracting companies with high energy consumption in their production processes, allowing them to produce in a climate-neutral manner, and prioritising facilities based on the circular economy. Opportunities for producing renewable or green hydrogen from wind energy in the future are also being assessed, which municipalities could use for developing their infrastructure, including the creation of a new industrial zone at the former Jelgava airfield.

"This is a project of importance for the entire Zemgale region, which will promote the region's socio-economic development, where human quality of life and sustainable jobs are of significant value. The 'Laflora' wind park and the green industrial zone represent a story about renewable energy production as the foundation for the sustainable development of the company, the region, and the country, in step with its efficient use by investing it in self-consumption, food cultivation, and ensuring smart energy application in synergy with state and private enterprises," says Uldis Ameriks, Chairman of the Board of "Laflora".