The first transition pieces have been installed at the Baltic Power offshore wind farm

The Baltic Power project – a joint venture of ORLEN and Northland Power – has confirmed the first successful installations of the five transition pieces, that will connect foundations and offshore wind turbines at the farm. This is the first such installation on the Polish waters of the Baltic Sea.

Transition pieces (TPs) are the steel constructions that connect installed monopile foundations with the towers of the offshore wind turbines and offshore substations. In the Baltic Power project 78 such pieces are set to be installed. Each structure weighs up to 350 tons and measures over 20 meters. Smulders is the manufacturer of the TPs for the Baltic Power project.

Offshore construction works are intensifying at the Baltic Power wind farm. After the announcement of the first successful installation of the monopiles last month, we can confirm the first installations of the transition pieces. It is worth reminding, that the majority of secondary steel structures for the transition pieces have been manufactured at the Polish plants of Smulders in Żary, Niemodlin and Łęknica. We have the first locally produced elements of our offshore wind farm installed offshore – says Grzegorz Szabliński, CEO and The President of the Management Board, Baltic Power.

So far 5 transition pieces have been installed offshore. Van Oord – one of the most experienced global contractors in the field of offshore installations – is responsible for the transport and installation campaign. The heavy lift vessel SAL LONE, which is used for this task, measures 160 meters and has 2 cranes with 1000 tons lifting capacity each. Thanks to a dynamic positioning system  the vessel’s position is maintained no matter of conditions. The SAL LONE vessel has been on duty since 2010. SAL LONE is supported by crew transfer vessels.

Meanwhile the installations of the foundation’s monopiles are ongoing, also executed by Van Oord. All offshore installations are supervised by Baltic Power’s Marine Coordination Centre located in Baltic Power Base in Łeba. The foundation installations campaign is expected to end mid-year.

Our focus now remains firmly on the road ahead to ensure the safe and timely installation of the remaining foundations, before we commence installation of the WTGs, cables, and our offshore substations - adds Nick Ingham, Deputy EPCI Director, Baltic Power.

Several onshore construction works are underway as well. In Choczewo commune the onshore substation is being outfitted with necessary equipment, including 4 large-scale, 300 MV transformers. The service base in Łeba, that will serve the Baltic Power farm for approximately 30 years, is undergoing final equipping and preparations for daily operations. The commissioning of the Baltic Power farm is expected in 2026.

The Baltic Power offshore wind farm is the most advanced offshore wind project in Poland and the first one to have reached the construction phase. In 2023, the project received a final investment decision (FID) as well as financing from 25 international institutions. Both onshore and offshore installations are underway at the moment. Baltic Power will be among the world’s first projects to install 15 MW wind turbines and the first Polish offshore wind farm operating in the Baltic Sea. Generating approximately 4,000 GWh of zero-emission electricity annually, Baltic Power aims to reduce CO2 emissions by around 2.8 million tons per year compared to conventional energy sources.