50 turbines installed in the Baltic Sea as ORLEN nears completion of Poland’s first offshore wind farm
Fifty of the 76 turbines planned for the Baltic Power offshore wind farm have now been installed. Poland’s most advanced offshore wind project has entered its final phase of construction. Critical infrastructure testing is underway and preparations are in progress to begin supplying electricity to the national grid. Developed jointly by the ORLEN Group and Northland Power, Poland’s first offshore wind farm will generate approximately 4 TWh of electricity annually, enough to meet around 3% of the country’s current power demand.
“The energy of the future is being built today. Baltic Power is a pioneering project and one of the most important energy investments in Poland’s history. We are creating a new source of renewable energy that will strengthen the country’s energy security and support the development of a modern economy. By consistently delivering on our strategy, we are laying the foundations for the energy system of the future for generations to come,” said Ireneusz Fąfara, President of the ORLEN Management Board.
Baltic Power has now entered the final stage of construction. Fifty turbines have already been installed across the project site, following the completion of all 78 foundations and transition pieces. Both offshore substations and the onshore grid connection infrastructure are ready for commissioning. The operations and maintenance base is also in place to support the wind farm’s day-to-day operations once it enters service.
Alongside the installation of the remaining turbines, work is underway to integrate the offshore and onshore infrastructure with Poland’s national power system and carry out initial power export tests.
“We are continuing turbine installation and advanced cable-laying works while simultaneously carrying out testing and commissioning activities that will enable the full integration of the wind farm with the national power system. This is one of the most demanding phases of the entire project, requiring close cooperation between project teams, contractors and the transmission system operator,” said Maciej Stryjecki, President of the Baltic Power Management Board.
Baltic Power is one of the first two projects worldwide to deploy Vestas 15 MW turbines. The model is currently the largest wind turbine manufactured at the company’s European production facilities. Including the foundation, each turbine stands more than 250 metres tall, while the rotor swept area of its 115.5-metre blades exceeds the area of six football pitches.
According to Vestas, around 15% of the steel used in the project is made largely from recycled materials in steel furnaces powered by renewable energy. The use of this solution can reduce the turbine’s lifecycle carbon footprint by up to 10%.
The wind farm is located approximately 23 kilometres off the Polish coast, near Choczewo and Łeba. Once completed, it will have a generation capacity of approximately 1.2 GW and produce up to 4 TWh of electricity annually. The project will increase the share of renewable energy in Poland’s power mix while strengthening the country’s energy security. At the same time, it will mark a new chapter in the development of the Polish energy sector and further reinforce ORLEN’s position among the companies driving the energy transition in Central Europe.
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