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Equinor picks Łeba as base for Polish projects

4C Offshore | Tom Russell
By: Tom Russell 27/05/2021 Equinor

Equinor has completed the acquisition of a site at the port of Łeba to serve as the operations and maintenance (O&M) base for its Polish Baltic Sea offshore wind projects.
Equinor will construct, own and operate the base which will support the Bałtyk offshore wind projects of Equinor and partner Polenergia, and could also support additional activities in the future. Equinor and Polenergia are currently jointly developing the
Bałtyk III, Bałtyk II and Bałtyk I offshore wind projects. Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III, with a combined potential capacity of 1440 MW, were awarded contracts for difference (CfD) by Poland’s Energy Regulatory Office on May 4, 2021.

The planned O&M base would serve as the logistics hub for the Bałtyk projects, with an office, storage, and transportation facilities.


Says Michal Kolodziejczyk, Equinor country manager in Poland, said: “The selection of Łeba to host the operations and maintenance base for Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III is another step towards the development of the Baltyk offshore wind projects. We are making a long-term investment in Łeba as a future hub of offshore wind in Poland. We are committed to creating lasting local value through our projects in Poland, and the O&M base means jobs and investment for Łeba and the region. We are excited to contribute to a new chapter in the rich maritime tradition of Łeba and will continue to engage in a dialogue with all stakeholders as Poland’s offshore wind industry takes shape.”

“We see our offshore wind projects as an important part of the transformation – not only energy-wise but also for the economies of Poland and Europe. Our goal for the projects development is not only reducing emissions and support energy diversification but to create additional jobs, bring a chance for many companies’ modernization, innovation and new competitive advantages of Polish industry as well. Therefore, together with our partner we have created a flagship program to support Polish wind energy industry development and now, while building supply chain for our offshore windfarms, we can implement them step by step. The first and a very important step on that path is selection of the port in Łeba to become operations and maintenance base for Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III projects,”
– added Michał Michalski, president of the management board of Polenergia.


The Bałtyk projects of Equinor and Polenergia are among the largest offshore wind farms under development in Poland. The company's each hold a 50% interest in the three projects.


Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III could generate enough renewable offshore wind energy to power two million Polish homes. Construction of the wind farms infrastructure could begin as soon as 2024, subject to the issuance of final build permits and the final investment decision from the project partners. Equinor is the operator of the projects through the development, construction, and operations phases.

The
Bałtyk I area has the potential to generate up to 1560 MW and is following a different timeline and is being matured accordingly.

For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide, click here. Alternatively you can view projects on 4C Offshore's interactive map, click here.

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