All foundations installed as Baltic Power moves closer to completion
The installation of all 78 foundations, called monopiles, has been completed at Poland’s first offshore wind farm. More than 20 vessels, along with 500 crew members and contractor representatives, have been involved in the offshore construction campaign. Baltic Power, a joint project between the ORLEN Group and Northland Power, is now progressing to its next phase. Electricity generated in the Baltic Sea is set to be supplied to the grid by the end of this year.
– Constructing an offshore wind farm is a logistical challenge of considerable complexity. The successful delivery of these unprecedented operations – both in terms of scope and scale – is a source of pride for us. Until now, no project of this magnitude has been executed in Poland. The installation teams carried out highly precise pile-driving operations, installing foundations weighing between 1,300 and 1,700 tonnes and reaching up to 100 metres in length. The completion of this milestone brings us closer to the goal of supplying clean electricity from the Baltic Sea to millions of customers in Poland by the end of this year - said Ireneusz Fąfara, President of the Management Board, Chief Executive Officer of ORLEN S.A.
The installation of monopiles required the use of an entire fleet of specialised vessels. Besides the main vessels that performed lifting and piling works, a fleet of tugboats, crew transfer vessels, environmental monitoring ships and offshore supply vessels supported these operations. The installation area was surrounded by a double bubble curtain to mitigate noise and vibrations released by the main hammer during piling works.
– Installing all 78 foundations safely and with precision requires strong planning, coordination and expertise, and is proof of our strong capabilities executing large-scale offshore wind. This is a major milestone for the project, and reflects the strength of our joint teams. Together with ORLEN, we move one step closer to delivering clean, reliable electricity to millions of homes across Poland – said Christine Healy, President and CEO of Northland Power.
Status of the construction campaign at the Baltic Power offshore wind farm:
- Monopiles: 78/78 - complete
- Transition pieces: 60/78
- Wind turbines: 30/76
- Offshore substations: 2/2 - complete
- Onshore substation: +90% complete
- Onshore cables: +90% complete
- Offshore export cables: ongoing
- Offshore inter-array cables: coming soon
- Service base: complete & operational
Around 80 various types of vessels have been mobilised since the beginning of the installation campaign, with over 4,500 members of vessel crews, representatives of the contractors and members of the Baltic Power team. Around 20 vessels operate daily on the 130 sq km site, coordinated by Baltic Power’s Marine Coordination Centre in Łeba. The end of the construction campaign is expected in the second half of 2026.
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Baltic Power is the most advanced offshore wind project in Poland and the first to have commenced offshore installations. Once construction of the ~1,2 GW offshore wind farm is completed, up to 4 TWh of electricity will be generated annually, which accounts for 3% of the current national demand. The farm is located approximately 23 km from the seashore near Choczewo and Łeba, covering an area of 130 sq km. Baltic Power is scheduled to become operational in late 2026.
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