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Baltic Sea prepares for 2025 Auction

By: Mark Casey 10/04/2024 Polenergia S.A.

General Windfarms

Equinor and Polenergia have applied for an environmental approval? for the connection infrastructure of the Bałtyk I offshore wind farm, which is being prepared for auction in 2025. Bałtyk I is the largest and most advanced offshore wind farm project in the Baltic Sea and of the second phase of offshore wind energy development in Poland. - The implementation of the Bałtyk I wind farm will benefit from the best solutions developed in the construction of the earlier projects, Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III. This will significantly streamline the investment process - both companies emphasize.

The Bałtyk I offshore wind farm is one of three projects jointly developed by Equinor and Polenergia. Bałtyk I, Bałtyk II and Baałtyk III will have a combined capacity of up to 3 GW, allowing more than 4 million Polish households to be supplied with green energy. Baltic I is the project of the largest wind farm under construction in the Baltic Sea, with a capacity of up to 1560 MW.

The Bałtyk I offshore wind farm will be located about 80 kilometers from the coastline. Electricity from the project will flow via cables ashore to a connection point at the Polish Power Grid Krzemienica substation under construction in the Redzikowo municipality. A land connection infrastructure corridor of up to 20 kilometers will run underground to preserve tourism and scenic values and to minimize impacts on existing land use.

The planned onshore power exit will be implemented partially (in the northern part of the alignment) in the immediate vicinity of the corridor designated for the connection infrastructure of the Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III offshore wind farms. One landfall location using trenchless technology is planned for all three wind farms. To date, Bałtyk I has obtained a permit to lay and maintain cables in the offshore section and a grid connection agreement with the transmission system operator.

Jerzy Zań, CEO of Polenergia S.A. said “The implementation of the Bałtyk offshore wind farms is crucial to Poland's energy transition. A common corridor section for the cable bringing power out of all three Bałtyk projects will significantly shorten the investment process, make it easier and cheaper. The construction of the Bałtyk I wind farm will benefit from the best practices developed in the construction of the earlier projects, Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III. This applies not only to the common infrastructure corridor, but also to the supply chain being built, the acquisition and training of future personnel, or the relations with local residents and local administration, which are very important to us. Investment continuity will allow a smooth transition between the two phases of offshore energy development in our country.”

The total distance from the connection point and the total planned capacity justifies the use of the first offshore wind farm power derivation using direct current (HVDC) technology. This technology has already been installed at the largest offshore wind farm in the world – Dogger Bank in the UK, where the first power was fed into the grid in 2023. Equinor is one of the shareholders in this project and will be operator in its operational phase. The experience gained from the UK will be transferred to Poland. An application to change the connection conditions for Baltic I to direct current technology has already been submitted to the Polish Power Grid.

Jerzy Michał Kołodziejczyk, Country Manager of Equinor in Poland., added “We are taking an active part in the country's energy transition by developing offshore wind energy. Our goal is to provide Poland with green energy produced from renewable sources. We have the highest quality technologies and solutions that we implement in our projects. Bałtyk II and III will be among the first offshore wind farms in Poland, and they are scheduled to come online in 2027. Bałtyk I is the most advanced project of the second phase, scheduled for auction in 2025. The green energy that will flow from all three offshore wind farms will provide stable renewable energy for more than 4 million households.”

The Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III offshore wind farms, due to come online in 2027, will have a capacity of 1440 MW. The projects already have contracted major suppliers of key components. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has been appointed as the turbine supplier, SIF Netherlands B.V. as the foundation supplier, and Hitachi Energy as the electrical systems infrastructure supplier.

Equinor and Polenergia also already have secured contracts for the design, manufacture, supply and installation of internal cables and export cables for both projects. The internal cables will be supplied and installed by Seaway7. In turn, the contract for marine export cables was awarded to an international consortium formed by Jan de Nul and Hellenic Cables. The investment partners also signed an agreement with DNV, which will take care of certification of the offshore parts of the Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III wind farms.

This year, construction work will begin on O&M base in Łeba, which, as a logistics and operations center, will be responsible for the safe and proper operation of offshore wind farms for 30 years of their operation. The base will employ about 100 people. All three projects will generate up to 10,000 jobs.

For more information about offshore wind farm projects across the globe, click here.

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Baltic Sea prepares for 2025 Auction

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