First foundations at the Baltic Power offshore farm installed

As scheduled, the offshore construction of the first Polish offshore wind farm Baltic Power, a joint venture between Orlen Group and Northland Power, has commenced in January. The first monopiles, the main part of the foundation, have successfully been installed in the Baltic Sea. In total, 78 foundations for both of the turbines and the offshore substations will be installed. Following the foundation work, the installation of wind turbines, substations, and subsea connecting cables will proceed.  This operation is the first of its kind in Polish Baltic waters, setting the stage for a new era of energy production in the region.

Baltic Power's offshore construction site has an area of about 130 square kilometres - roughly the size of the city of Gdynia. Within this area, 78 monopiles will be installed which are steel structures up to 100 metres long, weighing up to 1,700 tonnes and more than 9 metres in diameter (more than the diameter of a subway tunnel). Using a specially designed installation crane, the monopolies are driven into the seabed at a depth of about 40 metres. 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 larger 15 MW turbines at the Baltic Power Farm (15 MW). This is its first operation after the expansion of its operational capacity. 

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. Already in 2026, the offshore wind farm will be able to cover about 3% of Poland's current energy demand, which corresponds to the needs of more than 1.5 million households. This is a real and very tangible contribution to the country's energy transition, says Ireneusz Fąfara, CEO of ORLEN.

In addition to the installation crane, more than a dozen other vessels are working simultaneously at the offshore construction site: support vessels, tugboats, personnel and equipment transport vessels, environmental monitoring vessels and surveillance vessels. All work and marine traffic around the windfarm is supervised 24/7 by Baltic Power's Maritime Coordination Center. Weather conditions are a significant contributing factor that influences the pace of foundation installation.

Subsequently, the next activities offshore will be the installation of transition pieces elements connecting the monopile foundations to the turbines, offshore wind turbines, offshore substations and cables connecting them to the turbines, as well as cables exporting the produced energy to land. Installation work will last until 2026. 

“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. This achievement not only demonstrates our progress together, but also fuels our determination. Safety remains our top priority throughout every stage, ensuring we uphold the highest standards in every aspect of the project. Today’s milestone is a testament to the strong partnership between Northland and ORLEN and further solidifies our shared commitment to Poland’s energy future. - Christine Healy, President & CEO of Northland Power Inc.

At the same time, construction of the windfarm's onshore infrastructure is underway. In Osieki Lęborskie in the Choczewo municipality, construction of an onshore substation is underway to transmit the energy produced to the national system operator. The works have already reached approx. 65% of advancement, construction is expected to be completed in late 2025/early 2026. In the nearby Lubiatowo, 2 of 4 horizontal directional drill (HDD) onshore to offshore cable connections have also been completed; they have been carried out underground to protect the natural areas of dunes and beaches. In Łeba, work is nearing completion on the construction of Baltic Power's operation and maintenance service base, which will service the windfarm for about 30 years.

The Baltic Power offshore wind farm, a joint venture between ORLEN and Northland Power, is the most advanced offshore wind project in Poland and the only one to have reached the construction phase. In 2023, the project received a final investment decision (FID) and financing from 25 international institutions under the project finance model. As of 2023, construction of the farm's onshore infrastructure is underway, with offshore installation work starting in January 2025. Baltic Power will be one of the world's first farm to install 15 MW wind turbines. With scheduled completion in 2026, Baltic Power will be the first Polish offshore wind farm operating in the Baltic Sea. Baltic Power will generate about 4,000 GWh of zero-emission electricity per year, reducing CO2 emissions by about 2.8 million tons per year compared to production from conventional sources.