Preliminary Seabed Surveys Completed at Orlen’s Baltic East Site Offshore Poland

Preliminary seismic and geotechnical surveys of the seabed have been completed at the Baltic East offshore wind farm site in the Polish Baltic Sea.

Preliminary seabed surveys for the Baltic East project began at the end of June and lasted over 15 weeks, said Orlen Group, the developer of the offshore wind farm.

The surveys and subsequent analysis will enable accurate interpretation of the seabed’s geological structure at the offshore site, as well as the development of documentation necessary for design work and an action plan for subsequent geological campaigns.

“Seabed surveys are one of the key stages in the implementation of our offshore wind farm project. The work in the Baltic Sea was carried out by a consortium of three Polish companies, demonstrating the growing willingness of the Polish supply chain to provide high-quality services for the offshore wind energy sector,” said Janusz Bil, President of the Management Board of Orlen Group.

Geofizyka Toruń conducted the 2D multichannel seismic survey. Subsequent analysis of the collected data will focus on preliminary identification of ground layers and interpretation of potential geological hazards, such as boulder fields or shallow gas deposits. 

UXO surveys, or searches for potential unexploded ordnance, were carried out by MEWO. They enabled the assessment of the seabed’s cleanliness for hazardous objects at the geotechnical survey site. Dozens of magnetic anomalies were identified.

The final stage of field research was conducted by ORLEN Petrobaltic using the Silur vessel. A total of over 1,200 metres of drilling was performed, reaching depths of up to 80 metres below the seabed. Laboratory work on the collected soil samples and interpretation of the seismic results are currently underway.

The developer secured the key construction permits as well as the preliminary grid connection conditions for the 1 GW Baltic East offshore wind farm. Once fully operational, the project will supply enough renewable energy for approximately 1.25 million homes, according to Orlen.

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