Completed land-sea interface drilling for the export cables of the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms
At the construction site of the Bałtyk 2 and 3 offshore wind farms, a joint venture by Equinor and Polenergia, drilling works at the so-called landfall — the point where the export cables will transition from the offshore section to land — have been completed. This marks another important milestone in the development of one of Poland’s largest energy projects, with a combined capacity of approximately 1.44 GW. In the near future, cables will be installed along the prepared routes, enabling electricity generated by the Bałtyk 2 and 3 offshore wind farms to be transmitted to the national grid.
As part of the task, four HDD (Horizontal Directional Drilling) drills were carried out - each about one kilometer long. Then, casing pipes with a diameter of 71 cm, made of high-strength material, were laid in the underground corridors. Export cables will be introduced into them, connecting offshore wind farms to the onshore transmission network.
Drilling is a complex stage of building the connection infrastructure of offshore wind farms. It requires precise planning, adaptation of technology to geological conditions and close coordination of work carried out in parallel on land and sea.
The operation was carried out by the experienced engineering company Hanab. The HDD technology used for the drilling works on Equinor and Polenergia’s wind farms made it possible to create the crossing beneath the beach and shoreline without open-cut excavation, thereby protecting the dunes and their ecosystem.
The Polish company MAG Offshore participated in the tasks carried out from the sea, which was responsible, among others, for the sea logistics of over a kilometer of casing pipes, towing a working pontoon with a crane with a lifting capacity of 100 tons, coordinating several vessels and supporting installation works. Its involvement is an example of the development of the domestic supply chain, the strengthening of local capabilities, and the emergence of a new industrial sector driven by Poland’s first offshore wind farms, such as Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3.
