Bałtyk 2 and 3 offshore wind: all 100 foundations installed, export cables laid

Thialf makes its Polish debut

Foundation installation ran from early May to the end of August, covering all 100 turbine positions and the two offshore substations. The final layout of one of Poland's largest offshore wind farms, which will be able to supply up to 2 million households, is now visible at sea.

Part of the work was carried out by Thialf, a semi-submersible crane vessel measuring more than 200 by 88 metres and one of the largest of its kind in the world. It was the vessel's first deployment in the Polish sector of the Baltic, and Thialf will return to install the main components of the Bałtyk 2 and 3 offshore substations.

Landfall, export and array cables

The third quarter brought major progress on the power export route. Four trenchless horizontal directional drillings were completed beneath the beach and dunes to protect the coastal environment and landscape. The Bałtyk 2 export cables were then pulled through the HDPE-lined ducts and have now been installed along their full 120 km length. Work is continuing to bury them in the seabed and protect them with rock placement.

At the same time, further specialist vessels are installing the 66 kV inter-array cables, with the equivalent work for Bałtyk 3 scheduled for 2027. Onshore, most sections of both the 220 kV and 400 kV cable routes have already been laid.

Transformers by rail, sea and road, and an O&M base in Łeba

Construction of the onshore substations near Ustka has reached an important milestone. All four transformers, the main components of the substations, each rated at 450 MVA and weighing more than 350 tonnes, are now on site. The first two, for Bałtyk 2, were installed earlier, and the remaining two, for Bałtyk 3, arrived at the end of August. Their journey was a multi-stage operation: by rail from the factory in Łódź to Szczecin on a specialised 32-axle wagon, by sea from Szczecin to Ustka, and finally by night-time road transport to the substation site, where assembly and installation of the systems needed for commissioning are continuing.

In Łeba, construction is nearly complete on the operations and maintenance base that will house the control centre for Equinor and Polenergia's offshore wind farms. Built on the revitalised site of a former shipyard, the base has already been supporting offshore activities for several months. Once the farms are operating, it will serve as their day-to-day hub, creating local jobs and demand for services from regional companies.

Bałtyk 2 and 3 is a joint venture between Norway's Equinor and Poland's Polenergia group, adding 1.44 GW of new capacity to the national grid and strengthening Poland's energy security.