Fifteen 15-megawatt wind turbines have recently been installed at the Baltic Power offshore wind farm, including the first three equipped with Polish-made nacelles. The nacelles, a major component, are produced at Vestas ‘ new plant in Szczecin.
Turbine installation at the Baltic Power offshore wind farm
The magnitude of this joint investment between the ORLEN Group and Northland Power consolidates Baltic Power‘s position in the market . as the most advanced offshore wind initiative in Polish Baltic waters. The farm is projected to generate its first megawatt-hours within the next year.
This commitment to the domestic supply chain is notorious: it is estimated that Polish suppliers and entities will contribute more than 20% of the total cost of the project over its three-decade life span.
Thus, the giant 15 MW wind power units, together with their monopile foundations, reach heights of more than 250 meters above sea level. The blades are 115.5 meters long and cover an area equivalent to more than six soccer fields.
This Polish wind power complex is a pioneer in using recycled steel in the upper sections of some towers, which reduces the total carbon footprint of these components by approximately 10% compared to current production methods. In addition, the offshore assembly phase is expected to be fully completed by 2026.
The plant of Vestas plant in Szczecin confirms itself as a pillar in the sector. As the first Danish facility for the offshore wind industry in the country, it has employed more than 700 people. Baltic Power is the first commercial customer to officially install these domestically sourced nacelles from the West Pomeranian region, a clear sign of the maturity of this new industrial hub.
Finally, the construction of the Baltic Power offshore wind farm is a testimony to the collaboration between Polish companies. In addition to the nacelles assembled in Szczecin, local plants are supplying strategic elements: steel structures for the offshore power plants(Baltic Industrial Group and ARP), onshore cables(Telefonika Kable) and transition parts(Smulders Polska).
Other national contractors are in charge of environmental studies(Mewo), logistics and the construction of the service base in Łeba(Erbud) and the power plant in Choczewo(Enprom in consortium with GE Vernova). Once operational, this ORLEN-Northland power project will generate up to 4 TWh of electricity per year, covering about 3% of the national demand.
Source and photo: Orlen
