Baltic Power introduces a temporary compensation mechanism for fishermen

Baltic Power has announced plans to implement a temporary compensation mechanism for fishermen operating in the area where the first Polish offshore wind farm is planned to be built – that includes squares in N7, N8, O7, O8 located ca. 23 km from the shore. The solution is temporary and will remain in force until the official ministerial regulation regarding the compensation system between the offshore wind sector and fishing sectors is introduced.

On September 23-24, informational meetings between Baltic Power representatives and fishermen were held in Łeba, Ustka and Władysławowo, during which details of the temporary compensation system were presented. The investor proposed a solution that compensates the lost income of fishermen who operated in the Baltic Power wind farm and the connecting infrastructure (export cable) area in the time period 2018-2023.

- We understand fishermen's concerns regarding the impact of the farm's construction on their businesses. We are becoming co-users of the sea, even though our wind farm is not located in the a area of ​​valuable fishing grounds. Regulations on the comprehensive compensation system are still being discussed at the ministerial level and since we are the first entity to start construction at the sea, we are implementing our own bridge mechanism to provide support with the start of construction of Baltic Power. Responding to the fishing sector’s expectations, we are introducing a compensation system based on fish catches data, also covering the period before the cod ban was introduced. The compensation rate will also depend on the size of the vessel – says Krzysztof Bukowski, Head of Communications and Stakeholders Relations in Baltic Power.

The temporary compensation scheme covers owners of fishing vessels that operated in the project site/location areas (offshore wind farm and export cable) in the period 2018 -2023. It also applies to recreational fishermen who had used those areas before the ban on cod fishing was introduced. The compensation system applies to units whose owners carried out fishing activities in squares: N7, N8, O7, O8.

Baltic Power also announced its further involvement and engagement in the works on the final form of the compensation system, which from 2021 is being carried out within the framework of the fishing working group in Sector Deal. The dialogue is broader and covers i.e. the issue of the cumulative impact of the wind farms on the fishing sector. As previously announced, once the relevant regulation governing cooperation and compensation payments between the offshore wind farm investors and fishing sector is in place, the company will end its transition program and align with official regulations.

The Baltic Power offshore wind farm, a joint venture between ORLEN Group and Northland Power, is the most advanced offshore wind project in Poland and the only one in the construction phase. The preparation phase was completed in September 2023, with full financing from 25 international financial institutions. Construction of its onshore infrastructure has been underway since 2023, and the company will begin offshore installation work at the beginning of 2025.

Baltic Power is one of the first projects in the world to install 15 MW wind turbines and the first in the world to have a significant portion of its turbine towers made of low-carbon steel. With completion in 2026, Baltic Power will be the first Polish offshore wind farm operating in the Baltic Sea, covering 3% of the country's energy needs while reducing CO2 emissions by about 2.8 million tons per year.