Poland's first installation terminal for offshore wind farms, launched in June 2025, has established itself as a strategic element in the development of the offshore wind energy sector in this part of the Baltic Sea after just one year of operation. The facility, which is ORLEN Group's key infrastructure for the implementation of the second phase of offshore wind energy projects – Baltic East and Baltic West – al-ready serves also third-party operators, including foreign partners, thus responding to the growing demand for logistics facilities in the region. In its first 12 months of operation, the terminal has noted high market interest, winning customers such as, Ocean Winds and Smulders. Exactly one year after the launch of the terminal, ORLEN Neptun and the Szczecin and Swinoujscie Seaports Authority signed a letter of intent for the project expansion.
“The development of the offshore wind sector is an investment in energy autonomy and security. These are values that are particularly gaining importance in the current geopolitical situation. We have the capabilities to implement offshore wind farm projects not only in the Polish, but also in the European market. The signed letter of intent to expand the installation terminal in Swinoujscie is an important sign that, as a country, we are ready to further develop our competencies. The announcement of the expansion of the existing facility is a real response to the needs of the offshore wind energy sector, which requires properly prepared and reliable infrastructure,” said Milosz Motyka, Minister of Energy.
“The development of renewable energy sources is not only about building energy security and reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports, but also about strengthening Poland’s energy sovereignty and boosting our economy. The terminal in Swinoujscie is becoming a hub for developing the capabilities of Polish companies, engineers, and the modern offshore wind industry,” added Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Minister of Climate and Environment. “We will not be stopped. True patriots support the development of renewable energy sources, because it is an investment in security, jobs, and the future of the Polish economy. Thanks to projects such as the offshore terminal in Swinoujscie, Polish companies can provide services for projects carried out throughout the Baltic Sea.”
“Polish ports are no longer just a matter of our economic and military security, but also of our energy security, and projects such as the ORLEN Neptun terminal in Swinoujscie help to strengthen that security. The signing of today's letter of intent between the Szczecin and Swinoujscie Seaports Authority and ORLEN Neptun provides an opportunity to look ambitiously into the future and implement a project that will provide safe and clean energy for millions of Poles,” commented Minister Arkadiusz Marchewka, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure.
“The expansion of Swinoujscie Offshore Terminal is a response to the anticipated demand for this type of infrastructure, given the plans to build further wind farms in the Baltic Sea. The terminal is one of the key logistics hubs for offshore wind energy projects in this part of the Baltic Sea,” admitted Janusz Bil, CEO of ORLEN Neptun. “The project is already achieving satisfactory occupancy rates in its first year of operation. Given the projected accumulation of concurrent projects to be implemented in the coming years, the expansion of the terminal will be crucial to meet demand during the peak of the installation phase. This direction of development will further strengthen the role of the domestic component, enabling the comprehensive implementation of Polish projects using domestic port infrastructure,” the CEO of ORLEN Neptun.
The letter of intent is the first step towards the potential expansion of the terminal in a way that complements the project's existing logistical capabilities and meets the real needs of Poland's rapidly growing offshore wind energy sector. The document reflects the parties' willingness to discuss further expansion of investments and modernisation of port infrastructure, which will translate into support for the implementation of offshore wind projects and strengthening the position of the Swinoujscie Offshore Terminal as an important hub for the offshore wind energy industry. Proceeding to the next stage of the project will depend on the results of the business analyses and the possibility of obtaining financing for the project.
“We have completed a project in Swinoujscie titled 'Construction of the reloading capacity of the seaport in Swinoujscie for the needs of offshore wind energy', financed with EU funds, as a pert of which Szczecin and Swinoujscie Seaport Authority built key elements of the port’s access infrastructure,” stated Jaroslaw Siergiej, CEO of the Szczecin and Swinoujscie Seaports Authority. “The strategic location, the specialised nature of this project and the European-wide unique load-bearing capacity of the quaysides are its undoubted distinguishing features. Accordingly, we have begun planning the second stage, which will significantly strengthen and expand our current capabilities. The development of offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea over the next 15 years has extremely high potential, so the expansion of this facility is all the more justified.”
The Swinoujscie Offshore Terminal, which combines the functions of an installation terminal and marshalling port, has the potential to become the most important offshore wind installation centre in the Baltic Sea region. The facility offers comprehensive handling and storage services for wind farm components, and its infra-structure allows it to handle the latest jack-up and heavy lift vessels, as well as accommodate projects with turbines of about 15 MW and above, including transformer station components weighing up to nearly 3000 t. A key advantage of the project is its convenient location with access to rail, road, ferry, and air transportation routes, which enables it to handle projects in the waters of Germany, Sweden and Denmark. Thanks to its technical parameters, including a quayside load-bearing capacity of up to 50 t/m2, the terminal is one of the few facilities of its kind in the region capable of handling the sector's most advanced investments.
Swinoujscie Offshore Terminal is already a development boost for the region and Polish companies in the offshore wind energy sector. 95 Polish entities worked on the construction of the project, and in addition to the employees who operate the facility on a daily basis, at the moment more than 20 local entities provide maintenance services for the terminal. By registering the company's headquarters in Swinoujscie, ORLEN Group is actively contributing to the development of the West Pomeranian region.
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