Orlen Neptun deploys V-LiDAR buoys at Baltic West ahead of Poland's 2027 offshore wind auction

Orlen Neptun has launched a certified wind measurement campaign at the site of its planned Baltic West offshore wind farm, using floating buoys equipped with V-LiDAR systems. The campaign, run by metocean and seabed survey consultancy Partrac, part of the Venterra Group, will provide the bankable wind data the developer needs for turbine layout and its financial model ahead of Poland's 2027 offshore wind auction, where a contract for difference of up to 25 years is at stake.

Kamil Kusier executive editor 09.11.2026, 11:34 Reading time: 2 min

A row of white offshore wind turbines on the Baltic horizon under a sky of blue and purple clouds — fot. ORLEN

In brief

Orlen Neptun has begun certified wind measurements using V-LiDAR buoys in the area of the Baltic West offshore wind farm ahead of the 2027 offshore auction. Partrac, part of the Venterra Group, will deploy two buoys at Baltic West and one at Baltic East. Winning the auction would give Baltic West a contract for difference for up to 25 years, and first power from the farm is scheduled for 2034+. According to Marcin Sowiński, Baltic West project director, decisions will rest on verified measurement data rather than estimates.

Floating LiDAR instead of a met mast

Two V-LiDAR buoys will be deployed across the Baltic West area. The scope has also been extended to Orlen Neptun's Baltic East project, where a single buoy will collect site-specific data to reduce project risk and support financing.

The floating LiDAR approach was chosen for the quality and reliability of the data it produces and for the lower risk compared with conventional offshore measurement methods, while meeting health, safety and environmental requirements.

Bankable data for the auction and lenders

Wind measurements underpin turbine micro-siting and energy yield assessment, which in turn feed the financial model required both for the auction bid and for lenders.

- The start of the wind measurement campaign is another key step bringing the Baltic West project closer to collecting the full set of data needed to develop the financial model. It will allow us to base further decisions on real, verified measurement data rather than on assumptions or estimates, both in the context of the auction and the future process of securing financing - said Marcin Sowiński, Baltic West Project Director.

A 25-year CfD on offer in 2027

Baltic West is expected to compete in the auction scheduled for 2027 under the second phase of Poland's offshore wind support scheme. A successful bid would secure a two-sided contract for difference (CfD) for up to 25 years, providing predictable revenues and stable conditions for the investment. According to the current schedule, first power from Baltic West is expected in 2034 or later.

Around 4 GW on the Odra Bank

Baltic West is the second offshore wind farm being developed by Orlen Neptun under Poland's phase II offshore programme. Four areas on the Odra Bank (Ławica Odrzańska) are planned to reach a combined capacity of around 4 GW, enough to supply more than 5 million households.

The most advanced of them, the 900 MW Baltic East, is in the pre-design and design phase, with work under way on technical parameters and building permits. Orlen Neptun, the Orlen Group's offshore wind competence centre, also operates Świnoujście Offshore Terminal, Poland's first installation terminal for offshore wind farms.

Source: Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Kamil Kusier