Polish Government Pinpoints Optimal Offshore Wind Installation Hub

The Polish government has identified the Port of Gdynia as an optimal location for the construction of an installation terminal for future offshore wind farms.

On 30 July, the Polish Council of Ministers adopted a resolution on the installation terminal for offshore wind farms submitted by the Ministry of Infrastructure.

The installation terminal is expected to ensure the effective development of offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea in the Polish exclusive economic zone.

When selecting the location of the installation terminal for offshore wind farms, the technical conditions of Polish seaports were taken into account, the government said. An important aspect was also their location, which is important from the point of view of the economic efficiency of investment processes in offshore wind installations in the Baltic Sea.

Taking into account the above factors, the choice of the Port of Gdynia is optimal, according to the government.

The port is located the closest to the future offshore wind farms planned as part of the first stage of development.

Additionally, the Port of Gdynia is already used for the transshipment of wind farm components.

The adopted resolution provides for the preparation of appropriate port facilities at the Port of Gdynia to support offshore wind farms and the creation of the required infrastructure.

The government also intends to create appropriate port facilities to support the development of offshore wind projects from the Port of Gdynia.

In February, Poland signed into law the Offshore Act which regulates the development of offshore wind farms in the Polish Baltic Sea.

The legislation allows for 10.9 GW of offshore wind capacity to be either operational or under development by 2027.

Up to 5.9 GW of capacity was offered via Contracts for Difference (CfDs) in the first half of 2021 for projects in the most advanced stages of development, some of which could be operational by 2025.

In this first phase, the Polish Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) awarded CfDs to the 1 GW Baltica 3 and 1.5 GW Baltica 2 offshore wind projects, developed by Ørsted and PGE, and to the 350 MW FEW Baltic II offshore wind project, developed by Baltic Trade and Invest Sp. z o. o., a subsidiary of the German energy company RWE, the 370 MW B&C-Wind project developed by Ocean Winds, Equinor and Polenergia’s Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III projects with a combined capacity of 1,440 MW, and the 1.2 GW Baltic Power project developed by PKN Orlen and Northland Power.

The second phase of development will include two CfD auctions, the first in 2025 and the second in 2027, each for 2.5 GW of additional capacity.

As part of its offshore wind ambitions, Poland has also recently earmarked a few billions of Euros in its National Reconstruction Plan for offshore wind development and for port upgrades in support of the country’s offshore wind activities.