Equinor takes over Bałtyk 2 and 3 O&M base in Łeba. Port to serve 1.44 GW of offshore wind for 30 years
Construction of the operations and maintenance base for the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms in the Polish port of Łeba has been completed. The facility has received its occupancy permit and has been handed over to Equinor, which will run operations and maintenance for both farms, with a combined capacity of 1.44 GW, over their expected lifetime of around 30 years.
In brief
Equinor has taken over an operations and maintenance base in the port of Łeba, from which it will service the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms, with a combined capacity of 1.44 GW, for about 30 years. The Equinor base in Łeba sits on a 1.5-hectare plot on the site of a former shipyard, and the general contractor was Erbud. Once construction of the Bałtyk 2 and 3 farms is complete, a 140-metre quay will be modernised to handle up to four CTV vessels. Several dozen specialists will eventually work at the Equinor base in Łeba.
Control room, warehouse and marine coordination on a former shipyard site
The base occupies a 1.5-hectare plot on the redeveloped site of a former shipyard in the port of Łeba. It houses offices and welfare facilities, a remote operations and control centre for the wind farms, a spare parts warehouse and infrastructure for coordinating marine operations. The general contractor was Erbud.
The first staff will move in shortly. The base will eventually employ several dozen specialists, including offshore technicians and teams responsible for running and supporting marine operations. Day-to-day operation and maintenance of both farms will be managed and coordinated from Łeba.
A 140-metre quay for four CTVs
Once construction of Bałtyk 2 and 3 is complete, a 140-metre quay will be upgraded to handle up to four crew transfer vessels (CTVs) at the same time, shuttling technicians between Łeba and the turbines.
Łeba is the closest port to both wind farms. Short transit times allow technicians to spend more of each weather window at the turbines, one of the main drivers of availability in offshore wind O&M.
Solar panels, heat pumps and rainwater reuse
The building was designed to limit its environmental footprint. It uses photovoltaic panels, heat pumps and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and rainwater is collected and reused on site.
Part of a programme of up to 3 GW
Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 are being developed jointly by Equinor and Polenergia, the largest private Polish energy group. The partners are working on three offshore wind projects, Bałtyk 1, Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3, with a combined capacity of up to 3 GW. Commissioning the Łeba base marks the start of the projects' long-term presence in the town and in Pomerania.
The new facility strengthens Łeba's role as one of the main service hubs of Polish offshore wind. The port already hosts the service base of the Baltic Power wind farm, and the Equinor facility adds a second permanent operations centre for Baltic offshore wind for decades to come.
Source: Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Kamil Kusier
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