All Baltic Power turbines installed as the largest offshore campaign ever undertaken in Polish Baltic waters draws to a close
After less than two years of offshore construction, installation of all Baltic Power turbines has been completed. Poland’s first offshore wind farm is now in commissioning and undergoing testing ahead of full operation in the coming months, when it will generate enough electricity to power more than 1.5 million households across Poland.
“Baltic Power is bringing the benefits of offshore wind to communities across Poland. We will all benefit from the electricity it generates. This is an entirely new source of power that has given rise to a whole new sector of the Polish economy. The companies working with us and our Canadian partner have built capabilities that will enable them to grow, expand their reach and contribute to the domestic economy,” said Ireneusz Fąfara, President of the ORLEN Management Board.
Installation of Baltic Power’s 76th and final turbine brings to a close the largest offshore campaign ever carried out in the Polish waters of the Baltic Sea. Around 7,000 people and 110 vessels were involved in the project.
“Baltic Power is a landmark project for Poland and a powerful example of what strong partnerships can achieve. Together with ORLEN, we are building a more secure and independent energy future for Poland, creating lasting value for generations to come,” said Christine Healy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Northland Power.
Turbine commissioning is now under way offshore, with individual turbines being integrated sequentially into Poland’s national power system. Each turbine undergoes a series of tests, including the critical 240-hour reliability test. Once the testing has been successfully completed, the turbine is handed over to the operations team for the decades of service ahead.
Poland’s first offshore wind farm
Poland’s first offshore wind farm, with a capacity of up to 1.2 GW, comprises 76 Vestas 15 MW turbines – the largest and most advanced model currently available at commercial scale, manufactured by European suppliers. Each blade is approximately 115 metres long, giving the turbine a swept area of 43,000 m² – more than six football pitches. The turbines stand on foundations up to 100 metres long and rise to more than 250 metres from sea level to blade tip. The upper sections of selected towers were made from recycled steel, making Baltic Power the first offshore wind project in Poland to use this solution to reduce the turbines’ carbon footprint.
More than one-third of the nacelles were manufactured and supplied by Vestas’ factory in Szczecin, marking an important milestone in the development of local offshore wind expertise. Baltic Power was among the first two projects supplied by the new factory.
Around 21% of expenditure over Baltic Power’s entire lifecycle is expected to go to Polish companies. Their contribution includes the supply of steel structures, cables and turbine components, work on foundations, substations and the operations and maintenance base, as well as construction, survey and logistics services. Companies from across Poland are involved in the project, including Grupa Przemysłowa Baltic – Stocznia Gdańska, Smulders Polska, with facilities in Niemodlin and Żary, Protea of Kluczbork, Enprom, Erbud and MEWO. The experience gained on Poland’s first offshore wind farm will help domestic companies participate in future ORLEN projects and compete successfully for contracts in the European offshore wind market.
Long-term benefits for Łeba and the region
The benefits to the region will extend well beyond the construction phase. Baltic Power’s operations and maintenance base in Łeba will create around 100 permanent jobs supporting the wind farm. Over nearly 30 years of operation, the project will also generate business for local maintenance, transport, logistics and municipal service providers. Baltic Power’s presence will additionally generate tax revenues and lease income for coastal municipalities.
Power from the Baltic Sea is already flowing
Baltic Power, developed jointly by ORLEN and Northland Power, is Poland’s most advanced offshore wind project and the first in the country to begin generating electricity from offshore wind. Electricity can be supplied to the national grid before all installation and commissioning activities are complete thanks to the sequential commissioning of turbine strings and their connection to the offshore substations.
Once fully operational, the wind farm, with a capacity of up to 1.2 GW, will be able to generate up to 4 TWh of electricity per year, equivalent to around 3% of Poland’s current electricity demand.
Under Polish law, during the commissioning phase and before a relevant licence is granted by the Energy Regulatory Office (URE), a generating unit may produce electricity and generate revenue provided it has obtained an Interim Operational Notification (ION) and paid the applicable pre-licensing fee.
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