Baltic Power, a joint venture between ORLEN and Canada’s Northland Power, has completed the installation of two offshore substations, each weighing 2,500 tonnes. These are a key element of Poland’s first offshore wind farm and will collect the electricity generated by the turbines and transmit it to shore. Parts of both substations were manufactured at facilities in Gdynia and Gdansk.
“Offshore substations are among the most important components of the Baltic Power wind farm. They will enable delivery of zero-emission energy generated in the Baltic Sea to Poland’s power grid and, ultimately, to our customers. Installing the substations was a complex logistics operation, and its success confirms the capabilities of Baltic Power’s partners in executing demanding investment projects. It is worth stressing that Polish companies took part in manufacturing the substation components for the first offshore wind farm in the Polish sector of the Baltic, thereby gaining valuable and future-oriented experience. Increasing the participation of Polish businesses in projects delivered by ORLEN remains one of our priorities,” said Ireneusz Fafara, President of the Management Board and CEO of ORLEN.
The two offshore substations – OSS West and OSS East – have been installed approximately 20 kilometres off the coast, near Choczewo. They will receive electricity generated by 76 turbines, each rated at 15 MW, and export it via subsea export cables to the onshore substation in the Choczewo municipality. Each offshore substation features two transformers, 230 kV and 66 kV switchgear, a diesel generator, control and monitoring systems, and a range of auxiliary systems enabling safe, remote operation.
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Download free sample pagesThe main contractor for the offshore substations was a consortium of CS Wind Offshore and Semco Maritime, working alongside a number of Polish companies. The substations’ full steel structures were fabricated in Poland – at shipyards in Gdynia and Gdansk – with Grupa Przemyslowa Baltic, a member of the Industrial Development Agency (ARP) Group, responsible for their construction.
Each 1,300-tonne topside was first transported to Denmark for full outfitting, which brought the weight of each unit to 2,500 tonnes. Both substations have been fitted, among other equipment, with specialist cranes manufactured by the Polish company Protea. This is not the only example of Polish industry’s contribution to Baltic Power: components of turbine nacelles are being produced in Poland; domestic firms have supplied elements of the foundations and the onshore cables; and Polish contractors are acting as main contractors for installation and construction works. According to current estimates, the project’s local-content ratio will reach at least 21% over the farm’s entire lifecycle - from design and construction through to end-of-life.
Completion of the offshore wind farm is scheduled for next year, after which a comprehensive programme of testing, certification and permitting will commence. Baltic Power will be the first offshore wind farm in Polish waters and will provide around 1.2 GW of capacity to the national power system. Its 76 turbines will be capable of delivering up to 4 TWh of sustainable electricity – equivalent to about 3% of national demand – and meeting the energy needs of more than 1.5 million households. The Baltic Power offshore wind farm lies 23 km off the coast in the vicinity of Leba and Choczewo, covering an area of more than 130 km², roughly the size of Gdynia.
