Poland’s first offshore wind farm on the Baltic Sea moves closer to completion
Published by Jessica Casey,
Editor
Energy Global,
The ORLEN Group has reached another milestone in the development of offshore wind energy. Poland’s first operations and maintenance base dedicated to offshore wind farms is now operational in Leba. The port infrastructure, built from the ground up, will support the Baltic Power offshore wind farm currently under construction by ORLEN in partnership with Canada’s Northland Power. Already playing a key role in the ongoing offshore construction process, the base will support the launch of Poland’s first offshore wind farm on the Baltic Sea, scheduled for completion next year.
“As early as 2026, clean electricity generated at sea from our Baltic Power wind farm will be delivered to end users. The onshore heart of this endeavour is the operations and maintenance base we are inaugurating today. At ORLEN, we fully understand that Poland must harness the potential of the Baltic Sea – and this investment is only the beginning. The service base is critical to the success of Baltic Power, and the Pomeranian region is emerging as a key hub for the future of Poland’s energy system. Every day, hundreds of workers are engaged in the largest offshore installation programme in Poland’s history, while others are preparing multibillion-zloty investments in transmission infrastructure and new generation sources. All of this was set out in our strategy – and we are delivering on it. We are implementing the largest investment programme in the history of the Polish energy sector, worth up to PLN 380 billion,” said Ireneusz Fafara, President of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer of ORLEN.
The base in Leba features a purpose-built, reinforced service quay equipped with two cranes, berths for crew transfer vessels (CTVs), a high-bay warehouse for essential equipment and spare parts, as well as workshops and technical facilities for service crews and engineers. The same facility houses the Baltic Power Marine Coordination Centre (MCC), which became operational with the start of offshore installation activities and now operates 24/7, year-round. In recent weeks, the base has been fully fitted out and prepared for regular operations. Engineers and service personnel are expected to begin work at the site later this year.
“This is a moment of real pride for Poland’s entire offshore wind sector. From today, anyone walking along the port channel in Leba can see a fully operational offshore wind farm facility. Declarations and plans have now materialised into tangible infrastructure and real action. The Baltic Power base in Leba will handle all activities required to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the offshore wind farm. It will serve as the home base for service vessels and will support day-to-day operations. Over the next 30 years, it will provide employment for around 60 engineers and personnel,” added Grzegorz Szablinski, President of the Management Board of Baltic Power.
The Leba base currently supports installation works at the offshore construction site located approximately 23 km from the coastline. Ongoing works include foundation installation involving monopiles and transition pieces. Turbine and subsea cable installation is set to begin in the coming weeks. Onshore, cable route construction and the build-out of the substation in Choczewo municipality remain on schedule. The Baltic Power offshore wind farm is scheduled for commissioning in 2026. The ORLEN–Northland Power joint venture represents the most advanced offshore wind project in Poland and the first to reach the construction phase. The wind farm will be among the first globally to install 15 MW turbines. By generating approximately 4000 GWh of zero-emission electricity annually, Baltic Power is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 2.8 million tpy compared with conventional power generation sources.
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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/20052025/polands-first-offshore-wind-farm-on-the-baltic-sea-moves-closer-to-completion/
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