Baltic Power already has 50 turbines. Soon tests of the first offshore wind farm in Poland

Fifty of 76 turbines have already been installed at the Baltic Power offshore wind farm. The ORLEN and Northland Power project enters the stage of preparation for tests and start-up work.

The investment is now entering the stage of preparation for tests of maritime, land and power generation infrastructure to the national electricity grid. The installation campaign at sea is planned to be completed in the second half of this year.

Baltic Power at the end of construction

The Baltic Power project, the first wind farm in Poland, is already at an advanced stage of construction. According to the current state of work at sea, 50 wind turbines were installed out of the total number of 76 planned in the project. In parallel, cable work is being carried out and the infrastructure responsible for starting up is being prepared energy transmission to land.

This is one of the most important moments of the whole project. After the main installation work has been completed, the project will move to the testing phase to confirm the correct operation of the marine and terrestrial part of the farm and its integration into the national electricity system.

The Baltic Power project is entering the final stage of the construction phase. We install the last turbines and carry out advanced cable work. We are preparing for extensive testing and start-up work to integrate the offshore and land infrastructure of the farm with the national electricity grid and test energy transmission. These are unprecedented works in Poland, requiring close cooperation between numerous teams of our project, contractors and network operator.

Maciej Stryjecki, Chairman of the Management Board of Baltic Power

15 MW turbines at Baltic Power Farm

Baltic Power is one of the first two projects in the world where Vestas wind turbines with a power of 15 MW are installed. It is currently the largest model produced by the European manufacturer. Each turbine with the foundation is over 250 metres high, and shovels with a length of 115.5 metres cover an area larger than six football pitches.

The project also uses solutions limiting the carbon footprint of parts of the structure. Baltic Power is the first farm to use recycled steel in the upper sections of the towers. According to the company, this reduces their carbon footprint by about 10 percent.

The participation of the industrial base in Poland is also important. Part of gondola for 15 MW turbines produced at Vestas plants in Szczecin. An installation campaign at sea is conducted by Cadeler using a jack-up vessel, supported by CSOV units.

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Tests before the farm is included in the network

Testing and start-up work will be one of the most important stages before the regular operation of the farm. These will include quality control, checking of operating systems and implementing procedures concerning human safety and the environment. One of the key elements of this work will be to check the power delivery system from the farm to the national electricity grid.

Without these activities, the project will not obtain the required usage permits and certificates. State institutions, auditors, network operator and teams responsible for individual infrastructure elements will be involved in the process.

Tests and start-up work are a key step in any offshore wind energy project. In addition to extensive work at sea, quality control tests, operational system tests and procedures for human safety and the environment must be carried out. Without them, the project will not obtain the required usage permits and certificates, and many state institutions and auditors are involved in this process. We must ensure the highest level of safety and reliability of farm infrastructure before it becomes part of the national electricity system.

Jens Poulsen, project director and board member of Baltic Power

Current state of play at Baltic Power Farm

According to information provided by Baltic Power, the progress of the entire project now exceeds 80 percent. The foundation work has already been completed and Transitional elements. Two offshore power stations and a land-based power station with land cables are also ready to start.

The installation of wind turbines and the installation of internal and export sea cables continues at sea. In parallel, there is already a service base, for which the first contracts concerning the operational phase of the farm were concluded.

The current status of the project looks as follows: foundations and transitional elements – 78 of 78, completed works; turbines – 50 of 76, installation in progress; marine internal and export cables – installation in progress; marine power stations – 2 of 2, ready for commissioning; land power station and land cables – ready for commissioning; service base – in operation.

First offshore wind farm in Poland

According to information provided by Baltic Power, the project remains the most advanced offshore wind energy investment in Poland. After completion of the construction, a farm with a capacity of about 1.2 GW is expected to produce up to 4 TWh of electricity per year. According to the company, this corresponds to about 3 percent of Poland's current electricity demand. For offshore elevators in Poland it will be the first project of this scale to progress to the testing and start-up phase.

The farm is located about 23 km from the shore, at the altitudes of Choczev and Łeba. Its area covers 130 sq km. For the Polish offshore market, it is a breakthrough project, because for the first time offshore wind energy infrastructure will be connected to the national electricity system.

Source: Baltic Power