Poland’s first offshore wind farm “Baltic Power” is currently being built in the Baltic Sea. Two important key components have now been installed in the form of two transformer stations.
The 2,500-ton transformer stations OSS West and OSS East were installed about 20 km off the coast near Choczewo. They collect power from 76 turbines rated at 15 MW each. Both platforms feature two transformers, 230 kV and 66 kV switchgear, a diesel generator, control and monitoring equipment, and various auxiliary systems to ensure safe remote operation.
“Baltic Power” is being built by the joint venture consisting of the Polish group Orlen and the Canadian company Northland Power. The main contractor for the offshore substations was a consortium consisting of CS Wind Offshore and Semco Maritime, which worked together with several Polish companies. The complete steel structures of the substations were manufactured in Poland – in the shipyards of Gdynia and Gdańsk – with Grupa Przemysłowa Baltic, a member of the Industrial Development Agency (ARP), being responsible for the construction.
Equipment in Denmark
Each 1,300-ton superstructure was first transported to Denmark to be fully equipped, increasing the weight of each unit to 2,500 tons. As in other countries around the world, there is an increasing emphasis on local content in Poland. According to Orlen, both substations are equipped with special cranes from the Polish company Protea, among others.
However, this is not the only example of the Polish industry’s contribution to “Baltic Power”: components of the turbine housings are produced in Poland, local companies are supplying parts of the foundations and land cables, and Polish contractors are carrying out central assembly and construction work. According to current estimates, the proportion of local added value over the entire life cycle of the wind farm – from planning and construction to dismantling – will be at least 21%.
Electricity for 1.5 million households
Completion of the offshore wind farm is planned for next year. This will be followed by a comprehensive program of tests, certification and approvals. “Baltic Power” will be the first offshore wind farm in Polish waters and will feed around 1.2 GW of power into the national grid. Its 76 turbines will generate up to 4 TWh of electricity per year – equivalent to around 3% of national consumption – and cover the energy needs of more than 1.5 million households. The “Baltic Power” wind farm is located 23 km off the coast near Łeba and Choczewo and covers an area of more than 130 km² – roughly the size of the city of Gdynia.
“Offshore substations are among the most important components of the ‘Baltic Power’ wind farm. They enable the emission-free energy generated in the Baltic Sea to be fed into the Polish electricity grid and ultimately to our customers. The installation of the transformer stations was a complex logistical task, the successful implementation of which confirms the competence of the ‘Baltic Power’ partners in the implementation of demanding investment projects. It is particularly noteworthy that Polish companies were involved in the production of components for the first offshore wind farm in the Polish sector of the Baltic Sea, thus gaining valuable, future-oriented experience. Increasing the participation of Polish companies in Orlen’s projects remains one of our priorities,” said Ireneusz Fąfara, President of the Management Board and CEO of Orlen.
