Baltic Power – first project with completed geotechnical survey

For nine months, 13 specialised vessels were performing seabed tests over the wind farm site and along the power evacuation route. Based on the results, it will be possible to develop a final design of the foundations for about 70 wind turbines, offshore substations and cable connections to the onshore transmission infrastructure.

Baltic Power is the first wind farm developer on the Polish part of the Baltic Sea to have completed a geotechnical survey. The measurements were carried out over the farm’s site, with an area of more than 130 km², 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.

“Our commitment to the development of zero carbon power generation sources, including offshore wind farms, is a strategic direction supporting the energy transition of the ORLEN Group and Poland’s economy. We are the first company operating in Poland to have completed a survey that is of key importance to the successful delivery of projects such as Baltic Power. Thus, we have confirmed that Baltic Power is one of the fastest paced projects in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea. The completion of the wind farm project, scheduled for 2026, will strengthen Poland’s energy security by delivering up to 1.2 GW of clean energy,” said Daniel Obajtek, President of the PKN ORLEN Management Board.

The obtained survey documentation is a key element to inform the final design of the farm (currently being developed), including the deployment of wind turbines, substations and cables. Since December 2021, JBO (Jörss - Blunck - Ordemann GmbH), engaged by Baltic Power, has been working on the design of the wind turbine foundations. JBO is one of the most experienced providers of structural planning services for offshore wind farm projects. Its portfolio includes dozens of foundation laying designs for wind farm projects completed since 2008, located in offshore areas of ten countries. The data from the geotechnical survey and previous work will help the contractor prepare the final design and also select the technology for mounting in place the farm components. The design work is being performed in parallel with a tender procedure for the foundation supplier, which the Company intends to close by the end of 2022.

“The intensive work and transfer of knowledge between PKN ORLEN and Northland Power have allowed us to maintain a fast pace of preparations for the Baltic Power project. The completion of the geotechnical survey is the project’s milestone, marking in practice the start of the permitting process,” said Jarosław Broda, Member of the Baltic Power Management Board.

Baltic Power is a joint project of the ORLEN Group and Northland Power. Thanks to the effective transfer of knowledge and hard work involving almost 90 experts, Baltic Power has become one of the fastest paced projects on the Baltic Sea. The construction of a wind farm with a capacity of up to 1.2 GW is scheduled for 2024–2026. During that time, about 70 wind turbines with a minimum capacity of 14 MW will be erected in the sea, ultimately supplying clean energy even to one million households.