Offshore construction has begun on the up to 1.2 GW Baltic Power wind farm, a joint venture between PKN Orlen and Northland Power, with the installation of the first monopiles.
Preparatory and trial operations for offshore construction began in January, with several vessels involved, including Van Oord’s heavy-lift ship Svanen .
On 6 February, Baltic Power, a joint venture between Orlen Group and Northland Power, announced that the first two of 78 monopiles had been installed at the site, approximately 23 kilometres north of the Baltic Sea coastline in Poland.
“The first installed foundation is by far the most spectacular, and at the same time the most important milestone in the implementation of Baltic Power’s offshore part of the project. It was preceded by several years of preparation, planning and exceptionally intensive work by nearly 200 people from the Baltic Power team, our shareholders, public and local administrations and suppliers,” said Ireneusz Fąfara , CEO of ORLEN.
Van Oord’s Svanen is responsible for the installation of monopiles, which will be delivered by Steelwind Nordenham. Belgium-based Smulders will supply the transition pieces (TPs).
Last year, the crane vessel was upgraded to increase its lifting capacity to 4,500 tonnes and its height to 125 metres, enabling it to handle the installation of 15 MW wind turbines.
The monopiles are up to 100 metres long, approximately nine metres in diameter, and weigh up to 1,700 tonnes.
“The installation of the first foundations for Baltic Power is a tremendous moment in the development of offshore wind energy in Poland. We are very proud of our strong partnership with ORLEN on this pioneering project. As co-developers of Poland’s first offshore wind farm, we are excited to contribute our global experience in offshore wind projects,” said Christine Healy , President & CEO of Northland Power Inc.
Following this, TPs will be installed, and the Vestas 15 MW wind turbines will be placed. The wind turbines will be installed by Cadeler under a contract signed with the developer in 2023.
With scheduled completion in 2026, Baltic Power will be the first Polish offshore wind farm operating in the Baltic Sea, said the developer.
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