Let's talk about offshore wind farms. Equinor and Polenergia organized a meeting for the residents of Łeba and the surrounding area 

The construction of the operation and maintenance base for the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms will begin in Łeba later this year, employing around 100 specialists. Employment prospects and work on the construction of the base and offshore wind farms were discussed by representatives of investors at a meeting with the residents of Łeba and the surrounding area on March 19^th.

During the meeting, representatives of the companies, Equinor and Polenergia – jointly implementing the Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III offshore wind farm projects, talked about the planned investments in the offshore wind farms. Both projects - with a total capacity of approx. 1440 MW - will allow to supply almost 2 million households with green energy, and thus strengthen the energy security of Poland. The investments are an important part of the ongoing energy transition, which is expected to build up to 18 GW of capacity in Polish offshore areas by 2040. 

The participants of the meeting received the most important information on projects and investment plans in Łeba, including, among other things, the construction of a service base for the Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III offshore wind farms, which will begin this year, as well as plans related to the employment of specialists to handle the projects.

The service base in Łeba, as a logistics and operational centre, will be responsible for the safe and proper operation of the Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III offshore wind farms for 30 years. On the site of the former shipyard, with the support of local contractors and suppliers, a modern office space, a remote control, control and service centre for wind farms, a spare parts warehouse and a quay for mooring vessels will be built. The space, friendly to the environment and people, will be realized based on a design by the Gdańsk architectural studio B-CA. The investment will create an opportunity for the development of the city and the local port, as well as new jobs. About 100 specialists will be employed in the database for many years.

During the meeting, residents received the most important information about the projects, including:

• schedule of works related to the service base
• career prospects in the offshore wind industry
• opportunities to work in the service base
• benefits and impact of offshore wind farms on the development of the region
• the current state of progress of the Baltic Sea projects

Representatives of the companies also answered the residents' questions and listened to their opinions and comments on the planned investments. This is another meeting with the residents of Łeba about the Baltic offshore wind farms and the service base.

Investors stay in touch with the region's inhabitants throughout the year also thanks to the Bałtyk Offshore Wind Farm Information Centre launched in Łeba. This is the first stationary, year-round information point where you can obtain comprehensive information on the construction and development of offshore wind farms in Poland. Everyone can also receive information about the projects implemented by Equinor and Polenergia. The companies are also present at the most important events in the region and conduct educational activities for children and young people from the local primary school.

Meetings with the inhabitants of the Słupsk region are held as part of a dialogue conducted by Equinor and Polenergia with the local community. Investors regularly meet with representatives of local communities in the region to remain in dialogue with them and present the progress of the implemented projects on an ongoing basis. Previous meetings with the inhabitants of the region took place in Ustka, Łeba and Bruskowo Wielkie.