Baltic Power installed 15 MW turbines in Poland offshore wind farm, which is a joint undertaking by ORLEN Group and Canada-based Northland Power, has entered a record-breaking phase with the installation in the Baltic Sea of the first 15 MW wind turbines in Poland. In total 76 turbines will be installed at the project dubbed Baltic Power which will be Poland’s first offshore wind project and one of the most advanced in Central and Eastern Europe.
“This is the most important day for the entire offshore wind industry in Poland,” said Grzegorz Szabliński, the President of the Management Board of Baltic Power. “The first successful installation of a turbine offshore is now a fact.”
Once operational, the wind farm will have an installed capacity of 1.2 GW and produce 4 TWh of green electricity per year to supply more than 1.5 million Polish households and cover about 3% of Poland’s electricity grid demand. Commissioning is scheduled for 2026.
Advanced 15 MW turbines Set New Benchmarks in Europe
Baltic Power is only the second offshore wind farm in Europe to start installing 15 MW turbines, and elevates Poland to the vanguard of large-scale renewables in the region. The turbines, V236-15. 0 MW, and are some of the biggest and most powerful in the world.
Each turbine features:
- “Blade length around 115 meters.
- DA 120: Swept area: about 43,700 m² – the equivalent of over six football fields
- Tower is 120m, and the overall building height is 260m+
- Nacelles three stories tall
- Upper tower sections using recycled steel – a world-first for offshore wind
- A single turbine can produce sufficient electricity to power an electric public bus for a journey of around 100 km within a minute.
Supply Chain Boosted By Local Production
Baltic Power is already contributing to the strength of the local industry by using Polish suppliers for the major components. Nacelles are being manufactured at the recently-opened Vestas factory in Szczecin, with other parts, including offshore substation topsides, onshore cables and some foundation elements, also made in Poland.
“This is a difficult, technically complex operation, but also an indispensable activity on the road to Poland’s clean energy future,” Szabliński said. “We’re not just putting in turbines, we’re building an industrial ecosystem.”
First Turbine Begins Installation at Sea Aboard Cadeler’s Wind Osprey
Installation is led by Cadeler, with a state-of-the-art O-class jack-up installation vessel the Wind Osprey, recently-upgraded in 2024 for the installation of large turbines.
Some of the Wind Osprey key specifications are given below:
- 160-meter length
- 11,000-ton jacking capacity
- capacity with an above-deck reach of Niles 1600 tonnes with 160 meters.
- Carrying capacity of 3 full turbine sets (tower, blades, nacelle) per trip
With a couple of other ships around the world being capable of performing these operations, we reserved Wind Osprey back in 2016 due to the limited global availability.
Learn more Logistical Complications at Sea and on Land
Work is currently being carried out on several construction fronts for the Baltic Power project. In the offshore area, 15 construction vessels are simultaneously installing foundations and transition pieces within the site area. Works for installing inter-array and export cables, as well as offshore substations have already started and are expected to be completed later this year.
Construction is also underway on the onshore grid substation, and work to establish a long-term operations and maintenance base in Łeba commenced in April. This site will be in use for a period of 30 years and will now even facilitate real-time coordination of offshore operations.
A Pioneering Step for Poland in the Era of Green Energy
Baltic Power is the first offshore wind project in Poland reaching such a high degree of physical maturity, and is, thus, also a new benchmark for future projects in the region. It is the only project in the country with an offshore construction process underway and is leading the way for the next generation of offshore wind infrastructure.
‘Applying such a large scale operation is all about planning, maritime logistics and engineering accuracy’ – Jens Poulsen, Project Director and Board Member, Baltic Power. “We have worked, and continue to work, diligently … to achieve safe, effective commissioning in 2020,” the company said.
Game-Changing for Poland’s Climate Aims
The Baltic Power offshore wind farm will provide significant environmental gains in addition to its technical and industrial advances. It is expected to prevent about 2.8 million tonnes of CO₂ per year at full operation compared to typical fossil-fuel generation.
Baltic Power, which has a capacity of 1.2 GW, is set to be a landmark in Poland’s move towards energy security, decarbonization and compliance with EU climate goals.
About Baltic Power:
Baltic Power is a 50/50 joint venture between Poland’s ORLEN Group and Canada’s Northland Power. Situated some 23 kilometers off the coast of Poland in the Baltic Sea, the project is the country’s first commercial offshore wind farm and one of the farthest offshore wind projects in the entire Central Eurpean region.
❓FAQ – Baltic Power Offshore Wind Farm
Q1: What is the Baltic Power project?
A: It is the first such project for Poland, built in the Baltic Sea by ORLEN Group and Northland Power.
Q2: How many turbines will be in the wind farm?
A: It will be deployed using 76 Vestas 15MW turbines.
Q3: What is the project’s commissioning date?
A: The wind farm will be fully operational by 2026.
Q4: What is the capacity and energy output of the project?
A: The farm, which will have a capacity of 1.2 GW, will produce 4 TWh per year — about as much as 1.5 million households use.
Q5: What makes the turbines especial?
A: The V236-15. 0 MW turbines are some of the most powerful in the world, with blades that stretch over 115 meters and are made in part from recycled steel.
Q6: Who is installing the product?
A: Cadeler is responsible for the transportation and installation with the vessel Wind Osprey.