Baltic Power has completed installation of all 76 turbines at Poland’s first offshore wind farm, marking the end of the largest offshore construction campaign ever undertaken in Polish Baltic waters.
Developed jointly by ORLEN and Northland Power, the project is now entering the commissioning and testing phase ahead of full operation in the coming months. Once fully operational, the wind farm will have a capacity of up to 1.2GW and is expected to generate up to 4TWh of electricity each year.
76 Turbines Installed In The Baltic Sea
The installation of the 76th and final turbine brings an end to an offshore campaign involving around 7,000 people and 110 vessels.
The project features 76 Vestas 15MW turbines, among the largest and most advanced turbines currently available at commercial scale. Each turbine has blades measuring approximately 115 metres long, creating a swept area of around 43,000 square metres, equivalent to more than six football pitches.
The turbines rise more than 250 metres from sea level to the tip of their blades, while their foundations can extend up to 100 metres.
[Image: Baltic Power offshore wind turbines]
Image courtesy of ORLEN.
Testing And Commissioning Under Way
With installation complete, commissioning is now taking place offshore, with individual turbines being connected to Poland’s national electricity system in sequence.
Each turbine must undergo a series of tests, including a 240-hour reliability test. Once testing has been successfully completed, individual turbines are handed over to the operations team for their expected decades of service.
Electricity is already flowing from the Baltic Power project, with turbines able to generate power before the entire wind farm has completed installation and commissioning.
Supporting Poland’s Offshore Wind Industry
The project is also creating opportunities for Polish companies and helping to develop domestic expertise in the offshore wind sector.
More than one-third of the project’s turbine nacelles were manufactured at Vestas’ factory in Szczecin. Around 21% of expenditure over the project’s lifecycle is expected to go to Polish companies, covering areas including steel structures, cables, turbine components, foundations, substations, logistics and maintenance.
Companies including Grupa Przemysłowa Baltic, Smulders Polska, Protea, Enprom, Erbud and MEWO have contributed to different parts of the development.
Baltic Power is expected to provide Polish companies with experience that could help them compete for future offshore wind contracts both domestically and across the wider European market.
Long-Term Benefits For Łeba
The economic impact of the project is also expected to continue after construction has finished.
Baltic Power’s operations and maintenance base in Łeba is expected to create around 100 permanent jobs supporting the wind farm. Over its expected operating life of almost 30 years, the project is also forecast to generate business for local maintenance, transport, logistics and municipal service providers.
The development will additionally contribute tax revenues and lease income for coastal municipalities.
A Major New Source Of Polish Power
Once fully operational, Baltic Power will be capable of generating up to 4TWh of electricity annually, equivalent to around 3% of Poland’s current electricity demand.
The project is expected to generate enough electricity to power more than 1.5 million households across Poland, making it a significant addition to the country’s renewable energy infrastructure.
With turbine installation now complete, attention turns to final testing and commissioning as Baltic Power moves towards full commercial operation and the next stage of Poland’s offshore wind industry.
Source: ORLEN
Image source: ORLEN