Helix to Clear Boulders from Subsea Export Cable Routes for Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 Offshore Wind Farms

Equinor and Polenergia have signed annexes to the contracts for export cables with a consortium of Jan De Nul Group and Hellenic Cables, expanding the scope of cooperation on the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 projects. Under these annexes, the general contractor, with Helix Robotics Solutions Limited as a subcontractor, will clear the route of boulders before installing the subsea power cables.

Work on the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farm projects remains on schedule. Drilling has commenced at the point where the subsea export cables exit onto land. Construction of a service base in Łeba, which will support the operation of both wind farms, has also begun. Preparations for offshore work are underway. By expanding the cooperation with the Tier 1 export cables contractor, Equinor and Polenergia have secured a subcontractor to clear boulders from the offshore cable route corridor, preparing the seabed for submarine cable installation.

The work involves relocating individual large boulders using an ROV grab, followed by Helix’s specialized i-Plough unit that clears dense boulder fields. These two tools, operated from separate vessels, are expected to clear the export cable installation corridor effectively.

The Helix RS i-Plough boulder clearance plough is one of only few such specialized machines worldwide. Securing the availability of this unit and contracting it for the Bałtyk 2 and 3 projects was crucial for the successful execution of next year’s installation works. Clearing the cable route with the grab and plough is an efficient method to remove boulders that could jeopardize safe submarine cable installation.

The annexes for boulder removal from the subsea export cable route extend the cooperation with a consortium of Jan De Nul Group and Hellenic Cables, the general contractor responsible for the design, manufacture, supply, and installation of the export cables for the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 projects. Equinor and Polenergia have recently made final investment decisions for both offshore wind farms and secured their financing.

The Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms will be located approximately 37 km and 22 km from the coast, respectively. They will include 100 modern wind turbines with a total generating capacity of 1,440 MW, sufficient to power over 2 million households in Poland with green energy. These projects will support Poland's energy transition, strengthen the competitiveness of the Polish economy, and strengthen the country's energy independence. The first energy from the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms is expected to flow into the grid in 2027, with commercial operations beginning in 2028.