The next step is to select contractors to supply the turbines, foundations, internal and export cables, to construct offshore and onshore substations, and to provide farm maintenance services. The project, planned to be executed between 2024 and 2026, will involve the construction of a wind farm with a total generating capacity of up to 1.2 GW.
“Zero-carbon energy is the foundation of the Orlen Group's long-term growth” said Daniel Obajtek, President of the PKN Orlen Management Board. “We already have about 650 MW of installed renewable capacities, and we want to rapidly increase this share. We are well advanced in acquiring port locations and are establishing partnerships with proven suppliers. We believe that with the experience gained in connection with Baltic Power we will be able to effectively implement further offshore wind power projects.”
Cadeler specialises in the installation of offshore turbines. Since 2012, it has installed nearly 400 offshore wind turbines and more than 500 foundations, which together generate energy for more than 5.5 million European households. The signed reservation agreement guarantees the availability of a specialised vessel for turbine installation during the construction phase. The final agreement will be signed once Baltic Power has made a final investment decision.
“Execution of the contract is an important step in our procurement strategy, which assumes that all critical components and services necessary to complete the project on schedule should be secured by the end of this year” added Jarosław Broda, Member of the Baltic Power Management Board. “The vessel we have booked is one of approximately fifteen in the world capable of installing the latest generation of turbines.”
In June this year, Baltic Power completed a geotechnical survey, as the first wind farm developer in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea. The measurements were carried out over the farm’s site, with an area of more than 130 square kilometres, and along the over 30 km long power evacuation route. A team of several hundred surveyors, technicians and operators performed thousands of measurements and soundings. The vessels involved in the campaign worked for more than 20 thousand hours, during which several thousand metres of specialist boreholes were drilled at planned locations of the foundations of various infrastructure components. Depending on the location, the drillings were made up to a target depth of several dozen metres.
In addition to the up to 1.2 GW Baltic Power project, which is now well advanced, the Orlen Group has also applied for 11 licenses with a combined potential estimated at more than 10 GW. This capacity would be sufficient to meet 25 percent of Poland's electricity demand. The company is also analysing the possibility of executing similar projects in the Lithuanian and Latvian areas of the Baltic Sea.
According to Poland Energy Policy 2040, between 9 GW and 11 GW of renewable capacity is to be developed in Polish waters. Investment in ports, carried out with the participation of Polish suppliers, will be a strong growth driver for the regions and the national economy.
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