Baltic Power has held talks with potential suppliers on building supply chain for offshore wind project

Almost 600 representatives of 369 companies and institutions attended a meeting for those interested in collaboration on the Baltic Power project. Building a strong supply chain is now among the crucial steps leading up to the launch of this project, which is of strategic importance to the entire power sector. In line with the project’s schedule, the work will start in 2024 and be completed in 2026.

Participants of the two-day Baltic Power Offshore Wind Supply Chain Meeting 2021 were provided with the most up-to-date information about the project, implemented jointly by PKN ORLEN and Northland Power. In addition to the current schedule, information about the procurement procedures and supply chain plan, the attendees learned about the detailed plans and requirements for all the seven ‘installation packages’. Each of them involves one of the key components of an offshore wind farm (wind turbines, foundations, logistics, O&M, cables, offshore and onshore substations), to be implemented by companies selected through upcoming tender procedures.

‘The project is entering a critical phase of preparations, which means that we are about to commence the supplier selection procedure, vitally important in terms of the project’s schedule. Key contracts for the project will be signed within the next six months, and the key contractors will begin selecting and working with new partners, including local suppliers. To facilitate the process we organise our conferences, which serve as a platform for forging business relations between the potential key contractors and Polish suppliers with whom they might want to cooperate. This is important because as Baltic Power we will strive to ensure that contracts with local businesses represent some 20–30% of the project’s total costs,’ said Jarosław Broda, President of the Baltic Power Management Board.

The Baltic Power Offshore Wind Supply Chain Meeting 2021 was yet another online conference, which attracted a record-high turnout of 600 representatives of 369 companies, administrative bodies, local governments, scientists and industry organisations. In addition to presentations and Q&A sessions, the attendees could also visit the suppliers zone, in which more than 50 companies had created their virtual stands as a means of showcasing their offerings and forming business contacts. During the two-day conference, all of the stands were visited by over 4,000 visitors, each of whom could leave their virtual business card. In this way, the attendees had the opportunity – in addition to learning about the project itself – to establish relations with other companies, including the project’s potential key suppliers.

As the conference enjoyed considerable interest, its website will remain active until the end of 2021. Besides serving as a networking platform for suppliers, the website also features video recordings of all panels and Q&A sessions. To access you must first register on the event’s website at offshoremeeting2021.balticpower.pl.

Baltic Power is currently one of the fastest progressing offshore wind farm projects in the Baltic. The farm will be located about 22 km north off the Baltic coastline, near Łeba and Choczewo, and will be home to more than 70 wind turbines with a minimum capacity of 12 MW. The Baltic Power offshore wind farm, with an installed capacity of up to 1,200 MW, is expected to ultimately supply clean electricity to about one million households for over 25 years.