Offshore wind farms, developed by Equinor and Polenergia, are halfway through the foundations installation phase. As part of this investment, more than 50 monopiles and transition pieces have already been installed in the Baltic Sea. The installation of the foundations for the offshore substations will also begin soon.
Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 will together comprise 100 modern turbines, each with a capacity of 14.4 MW. In May, the installation of their foundations began - monopiles embedded into the seabed and connected to the so-called transition pieces, whith characteristic yellow tops visible above the water surface. The towers of the 260-meter-high wind turbines will be installed on these structures next year.
– The halfway point of the foundation works is an important and highly symbolic moment in the implementation of the Bałtyk 2 and 3 projects. It shows that such a complex engineering and logistics involved in building one of Poland’s largest offshore wind farms is being carried out efficiently and according to plan. The installation of each subsequent foundation brings us closer to the moment when energy from the farms, with a total capacity of 1.44 GW, will begin to supply the national grid and strengthen Poland’s energy security – commented Adam Purwin, President of the Management Board of Polenergia.
– The fact that half of the foundations have already been installed demonstrates the scale and pace of work being carried out at sea on the Bałtyk 2 and 3 projects. This is one of the most demanding stages in the construction of an offshore wind farm, so offshore experience, operational safety, and close coordination between offshore and onshore teams are crucial. Thanks to the commitment of our teams and strong cooperation with our partners, we are consistently preparing for the next stages of the investment, – said Michał Jerzy Kołodziejczyk, Country Manager of Equinor Polska.
First, monopiles and transition pieces were installed at the Bałtyk 2 farm, located 37 km from the shore. At the Bałtyk 3 farm, situated 22 km off the coast, seabed works were carried out at the same time, including rock cover designed to protect the subsea infrastructure. Foundation works are now also moving there. In addition, the installation of support structures (so-called jackets), i.e. the foundations for the offshore substations is scheduled to begin later this summer. These substations will receive electricity from the turbines, increase the voltage from 66 kV to 220 kV and transmit it ashore.
The installation of the foundations for the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 farms is being carried out by Thialf, one of the largest installation vessels in the world, measuring over 200 metres in length and 88 meters in width, supported by more than a dozen other vessels, including those transporting components.
The Bałtyk 2 and 3 offshore wind farms are a joint venture of Equinor, a Norwegian company, and Poland’s largest private energy group, Polenergia. Power generation is expected to begin as early as 2027, and full commissioning is scheduled for 2028. The electricity generated by Bałtyk 2 and 3 will be enough to meet the energy needs of up to two million households in Poland.
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