When Polenergia launched the development of projects in the exclusive Polish economic zone of the Baltic Sea, it saw enormous potential in them for Poland as early as in 2010. In 2018 it established cooperation with Equinor for the joint execution of the MFW Bałtyk II and MFW Bałtyk III projects. In December 2019, it signed a cooperation agreement for the execution of the MFW Bałtyk I project. The total capacity of the projects developed by the companies is 3,000 MW.
3000 MW – total capacity of projects developed by Polenergia in partnership with Equinor
| Project name | MFW Bałtyk I | MFW Bałtyk II | MFW Bałtyk III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind farm capacity [MW] | 1560 | 720 | 720 |
| Distance from shore [km] | 80 | 37 | 22 |
| Total surface area [km2] | 128,53 | 122 | 119,52 |
| Depth of water [m] | 25-35 | 23-41 | 25-39 |
| Average wind speed [m/s] | 9-10 | 9-10 | 9-10 |
The Act on the Promotion of Electricity Generation in Offshore Wind Farms signed by the President of the Republic of Poland in January 2021 is a milestone in energy transition efforts. The acts sets out the legal framework for the construction of first offshore wind farms in Poland and allows for full utilization of the potential of the Baltic Sea for electricity production.
The special-purpose vehicles have obtained final non-appealable decisions on environmental conditions for the construction of MFW Bałtyk II Offshore Wind Farm (March 2017) and MFW Bałtyk III Offshore Wind Farm (July 2016) along with connection agreements, as well as a valid decision on environmental conditions for the construction of transmission infrastructure (March 2019).
For the purposes of MFW Bałtyk II and MFW Bałtyk III projects, a preliminary study of seabed geology has been executed and a two-year wind measurement campaign has been carried out using the LIDAR system. Thanks to the confirmed outstanding wind conditions, it will be possible to use the wind energy effectively in this area.
Detailed seabed surveys were performed for the MFW Bałtyk II and MFW Bałtyk III projects in the area of future offshore wind farms, to detect and neutralize potential unexploded shells or other objects that could jeopardize the safety of the planned foundation works for the wind turbines. During the exploration, which lasted from August to September 2020, no objects were found that could constitute a threat for the construction of offshore wind farms.
The final investment decision for the MFW Bałtyk II and MFW Bałtyk III wind farms is scheduled for 2023, which will enable supply of first electricity to the grid in 2026. The production capacity of both farms should be 1440 MW, which will provide enough electricity to power more than 2 million households.
The third project, MFW Bałtyk I Offshore Wind Farm, has a valid location permit and conditions for connection received from the transmission system operator (January 2021). Currently, a comprehensive pre-investment program of sea environment studies is carried out to assess the environmental impact of MFW Bałtyk I, which is the milestone on the way to obtaining a decision on environmental conditions – one of the key documents necessary to execute the project.
The anticipated farm service life is 25–30 years.
Polenergia, acting in partnership with Equinor, signed a letter of intent on cooperation for development of offshore wind energy in Poland (Polish Offshore Wind Sector Deal). As part of the work conducted in respective working groups, it has shared its knowledge and experience and has actively participated in the work, which should eliminate barriers and create mechanisms and solutions supporting growth of this sector in Poland. A representative of Polenergia leads the work in one of the working groups: ”Stakeholder Cooperation” – devoted to the co-existence of offshore wind farms with other forms of using sea surface.
Polenergia executes projects in the Polish zone of the Baltic Sea and it is committed to the development of local resources at each stage of the work. It employed Polish contractors for analyses, expert opinions, environment studies and documentation created for the purpose of first location and environmental decisions.
In 2014-2016, Polenergia Group carried out the first in Poland comprehensive stakeholder dialog campaign associated with the development of offshore wind farm projects.
In connection with the persisting COVID-19 pandemic, modern virtual tools were used to communicate with stakeholders, allowing them to share opinions on how to implement the project safely.
