In the Lubiatowo area, the first of four directional drills under the coastline, beach, and seabed has been successfully completed, with no direct impact on areas of high ecological value. This phase of the project paves the way for connecting the Baltic Power offshore wind farm to its onshore substation. The 1.4 km tunnel will house power transmission cables. The drilling was conducted using HDD (horizontal directional drilling) technology.

The completed section is the first of four underground corridors, designed to hold 30-cm diameter cables. This marks the first large-scale use of HDD technology in Poland. Part of the drilling operation took place offshore, utilising divers and a jack-up rig to complete the underwater section. In total, the drilling will result in the extraction of over 8,000 m³ of spoil from all four drills. According to studies commissioned by Baltic Power, the excavated sand is clean and suitable for beach restoration efforts, helping to repair storm damage sustained over the winter.

“Progress on Baltic Power, the largest renewable energy project in our region, is on schedule and already well advanced. We have completed the first and are carrying out further drilling for submarine cables connecting offshore substations to land. This is the first project of its kind in Poland and is unique compared to other offshore wind projects carried out in Europe,” said Jarosław Broda, Member of the Baltic Power Management Board.

“In Europe, shoreline crossing drills are typically shorter, and when they are longer, the drill diameter is usually smaller. For Baltic Power, we are undertaking a significant engineering challenge, drilling nearly 1.5 kilometres under dunes, the beach, and the seabed. It’s not possible to drill from just one side, but we are working to ensure minimal environmental disruption,” said Jens Poulsen, Member of the Baltic Power Management Board.

The project is being executed with the goal of minimising any inconvenience to local residents, tourists, and the environment. During the tourist season, heavy equipment is transported to the drilling site primarily at night, with vehicles traveling at 10 km/h under escort. In consultation with local authorities, the community, and members of the local tourism industry, it was agreed that the popular beach access path near the worksite will remain open, ensuring uninterrupted access for tourists and cyclists.

Meanwhile, approximately 8 km away in Osieki Lęborskie, construction is underway on the onshore substation. Together with the cable connection, this facility will receive energy from the Baltic Power wind farm and integrate it into the National Power Grid. The power line linking to the substation will also be installed underground. The onshore cable route has been designed in collaboration with other offshore wind farm investors to minimise environmental impact and avoid areas of high ecological value. The construction of the onshore substation (ONS) is already more than 40% complete, with full completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025.

Baltic Power is one of the first projects in the world to install 15 MW wind turbines and the first in the world to have a significant portion of its turbine towers made of low-carbon steel. With completion in 2026, Baltic Power will be the first Polish offshore wind farm operating in the Baltic Sea, covering 3% of the country's energy needs while reducing CO2 emissions by about 2.8 million tonnes per year.

The Baltic Power offshore wind farm is a key project for the ORLEN Group and Northland Power, supporting transition towards a clean, low-carbon economy. Renewable energy sources, including offshore wind farms, will be a springboard for our sustainable development in the years to come. Located 23 km to the north of the Polish coastline, on the level of Choczewo and Łeba, Baltic Power is one of the most advanced projects planned in the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone in the Baltic Sea. We hold a licence to construct an up to 1.2 GW wind farm, but its target generation capacity resulting from the selected turbine technology will be 1140 MW.

Construction of offshore wind farms is a complex and multi-stage process. The construction of the farm started in 2024 with commissioning scheduled in 2026. Baltic Power’s offshore wind farm area of approximatley 130 square kilometres will feature 76 wind turbines, each with a generating capacity of 15 MW. These are currently some of the most advanced offshore wind turbines available on the market and Baltic Power will be one of the first offshore wind farms in the world to have them installed. The height of the turbines will exceed 200 metres and the rotor area of each turbine is approximately 43,000 m².

Offshore wind power generation is one of the fastest growing energy sectors in Europe. With its increasing efficiency and low environmental impact, this technology already provides clean and competitively priced electricity to millions of Europeans. Waters of 12 countries are the site of 25 GW of offshore wind energy capacity, of which about 2 GW is located in the Baltic Sea. Based on experts’ estimates, the Baltic Sea’s total potential is 85 GW, nearly twice as much as the total electrical capacity currently installed in Poland.

The Polish State National Energy Policy (PEP2040) outlines the potential of and assumes the development of offshore wind energy in the area of the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone of the Baltic Sea, with the capacity of aprox. 5.9 GW in 2030 and up to 11 GW in 2040. Offshore wind farms in the Baltic may play a key role in Poland’s energy transition, contribute to the strengthening of the country’s energy security, and help tackle air pollution.

Baltic Power is the most advanced offshore wind farm construction project in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea. In 2022, the Company secured contracts for the production, transport, and installation of all key components necessary for the implementation of the project. The project has received the required environmental decisions and at the beginning of 2023, Baltic Power obtained the first required building permits for the onshore part of the project. This is the first such decision issued for offshore wind projects implemented in Poland. Obtaining the onshore permit is one of the milestones necessary for the final investment decision and commencement of the Offshore Windfarm construction in 2024.

KeyFacts Energy: Renewable Energy news