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Virtsu III

Wind power plant in Laeaene, Estonia. Approximate location 58.5659, 23.5333.

WindLaeaeneEstonia

Virtsu III is a 7 MW wind power plant in Laeaene, Estonia. It is operated by Nejla Energia OU. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 5.9k homes (estimated). It ranks #16 of 18 Estonia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2010, it is around 16 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, wind supplies about 18.8% of Estonia's electricity; the national grid averages 319 gCO₂/kWh (59.6% low-carbon) (2025).

7Legacy source-record capacity
5,871homes powered (est.)
2010commissioned (~16 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1022407.

Data status

Known data

FacilityVirtsu III WRI
CountryEstonia · Laeaene WRI
Coordinates58.5659, 23.5333 WRI
FuelWind WRI
MW installed capacity7 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerNejla Energia OU WRI
Commissioned2010 WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#16 of 18 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#11 of 13 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.38× · 18 MW median · 13 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent5,871 calculated
Climate6.5°C · HDD 4,190 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 33/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 7 MW, Virtsu III is below the median wind plant in Estonia (18 MW). Wind turbines convert moving air into electricity; output is variable and site-dependent, and modern turbines deliver some of the lowest-cost new generation on many grids.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Capacity vs largest wind plants in Estonia

Aulepa: 48 MW48AulepaPaldiski: 44 MW44PaldiskiNarva Ashfield Wind park: 39 MW39Narva Ashf…Tooma-Esviere Wind Park: 36 MW36Tooma-Esvi…Aseriaru: 24 MW24AseriaruViru Nigula: 21 MW21Viru NigulaPakri: 18 MW18PakriMali: 12 MW12Mali

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Nejla Energia OU.

Local climate & thermal context

This wind plant converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity through turbine rotors. It sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 58.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

6.5°Cannual mean temp
4,190heating degree-days (base 18°C)
12cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
10 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -4 °CJF: -4 °CFM: -1 °CMA: 4 °CAM: 11 °CMJ: 15 °CJJ: 18 °CJA: 17 °CAS: 12 °CSO: 7 °CON: 3 °CND: -1 °CD18 °C

Heating degree-days here run 70% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 86/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
33/100environmental-severity index
22.6°Cseasonal temperature swing
21 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #11 largest wind power plant of 13 in Estonia by capacity.

Estonia has 13 wind power plants in this dataset, together about 274 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 58.5659, 23.5333 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Virtsu III?

Virtsu III is a 7 MW source-record wind power plant in Laeaene, Estonia, commissioned in 2010.

How many homes can Virtsu III power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 5,871 homes (estimated).

Who operates Virtsu III?

Virtsu III is operated by Nejla Energia OU.

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