The ORLEN Group and Northland Power have commenced the construction of an onshore substation in the Choczewo municipality. The project will allow the Baltic Power wind farm to receive energy generated offshore. According to the schedule, the farm will start producing zero-carbon energy in 2026.
"As the first company in Poland, we commence constructing infrastructure allowing to deliver electricity produced offshore to the grid. We have also started work in the area of the installation terminal for offshore wind farms in Świnoujście. We are not slowing down, since making investments in modern, zero-carbon energy is a pillar of our strategy. Offshore wind farms, in addition to small nuclear reactors, will be key to transforming Poland's electricity system and strengthening our region's energy security. We are fully prepared to implement the project in the Baltic Sea that will provide clean, affordable energy to millions of Poles as early as 2026," Daniel Obajtek, President of the Management Board of PKN ORLEN.
The whole accompanying infrastructure for the Baltic Power farm was designed so as to minimize the project's environmental impact. The substation, being an onshore part of the Baltic Power wind farm, will act as a hub for cable lines transmitting electricity from offshore substations located nearly 30 kilometers away. Almost the whole route of the cable's onshore section of approx. 7 kilometers will be routed underground. This also applies to the beach - thanks to the use of so-called directional drilling, the landfall will be routed at the depth of approx. 10 meters underground. Thanks to this, it will be invisible and will not affect the possibility to use the beach. The route of the onshore cable route has been designed so as to make the project minimally interfere with the natural environment and bypass naturally valuable areas.
"Baltic Power is an example of a project placing a special emphasis on the aspects of environmental protection, sustainable development and respect for local communities, i.e. the aspects that are so important to both Northland Power and our partner. We are all the more glad that the Baltic Power project is reaching another, such important milestone. Our farm, the construction of which will be commenced in 2024, will secure the first supplies of green energy for Poland in just a few years, as planned," concludes Mike Crawley, President of the Management Board of Northland Power.
A consortium of GE and Enprom is responsible for the design, construction and delivery of the necessary components for the onshore substation. GE also designed the electrical system and provided high voltage power components. Enprom, a Polish company, prepared the design and is fully responsible for the construction of the substation.
Currently, Baltic Power is the most advanced offshore wind farm construction project in Poland. The company ended 2022 by fully securing the contracts for all key components necessary for the construction of the wind farm as part of the planned supply chain. In 2023, along with securing all environmental decisions and building permits, Baltic Power commences its first onshore construction works. According to the schedule, the first offshore installation works will be commenced in 2024. At the same time, in 2022 ORLEN Group made a strategic decision to build Poland's first installation terminal for offshore wind farms. The project is being implemented in the port of Świnoujście and after being completed at the turn of 2024/2025 will be one of the most modern terminals in Europe. Its quaysides and storage yards will allow to transport and install state-of-the-art wind turbines of 15 MW and above.
The Baltic Power's offshore wind farm will consist of 76 turbines with a unit capacity of 15 MW and a height of more than 200 meters operating in an area of approx. 130 sqm. The farm will be located approx. 23 kilometers away from the coast, at the height of Choczewo and Łeba, where the farm's service port will be built. Once completed, the farm will be able to deliver clean energy to more than 1.5 million households.
