Equinor and Polenergia have contracted cables for the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms

Equinor and Polenergia have signed agreements to design, manufacture, supply and install Inter-Array Cables and Offshore Export Cables for the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms, which are being developed jointly. These are further elements necessary for key investments in Poland's energy transition.

Inter-Array Cables will be supplied and installed by Seaway7. The contract for Offshore Export Cables was awarded to an international consortium formed by Jan de Nul and Hellenic Cables. The partners also recently signed a contract with DNV, which will certify the offshore parts of the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 wind farms.

- The signing of further agreements brings us closer to the moment when the final investment decision will be made and the first energy will be delivered from the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms in 2027. These will be among the first offshore wind farms in Poland, the commissioning of which will strengthen energy security and provide affordable, stable renewable energy for approximately 2 million households. - says Michal Jerzy Kolodziejczyk, CEO of Equinor in Poland.

Once all construction elements are contracted and the necessary permits are obtained, the construction phase of the Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III projects, with a total capacity of 1.44 GW, will begin.

Offshore works, including the installation of Inter-Array Cables and Offshore Export Cables, will begin within 2026. The Inter-Array Cables, with a total length of 200 kilometers and a voltage of 66 kV, will connect 100 turbines located in the Baltic Sea and two offshore substations. In turn, four Offshore Export Cables with a total length of 256 kilometers will transmit electricity at 220 kV from offshore to onshore substations.

The Inter-Array Cables will be laid on the seabed and buried, and the landfall of the Offshore Export Cables to land will be carried out using a trenchless method, i.e. under the surface of the ground without interfering with the coastal zone, including the beach.

- The use of this technology makes it possible to connect marine and onshore energy infrastructure while preserving the environmental and landscape values of the Polish coast. This is very important not only for us, but also for local communities. We keep the residents of coastal towns and cities informed about the progress of offshore wind farm projects in the Baltic Sea. We communicate with them at cyclical meetings we organize, but also at the recently launched local information point on offshore wind farms. The facility we opened in Leba is the first of its kind in Poland - says Marta Porzuczek, Director of the Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Department at Polenergia Group.

The selected suppliers of Inter-Array Cables and Offshore Export Cables for the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 projects have global experience in supporting developers in the construction of offshore wind farms. Seaway7 offers specialized services for the installation of offshore infrastructure, and also provides heavy transport services for the renewable energy sector.

Consortium formed by Jan de Nul, known for providing offshore infrastructure construction and maintenance services, together with Greek manufacturer Hellenic Cables, will be responsible for the supply and installation of Offshore Export Cables for both Bałtyk offshore wind farms.

Equinor and Polenergia are jointly developing three offshore wind farms with a total capacity of up to 3 GW. In addition to the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 projects, the partners are also developing 1.56 GW of capacity in the Bałtyk I project, which is the most advanced second phase offshore wind project in Poland. The project is aiming to participate in an upcoming auction in 2025.