For the electricity produced by offshore wind farms to reach land, to the connection infrastructure, it is necessary to run subsea cable lines. The offshore section of the cable lines connects to the onshore section on land. The coastline crossing, which will make it possible to connect the offshore section of the cables to the onshore section, will be carried out using Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) technology. This is the least invasive way to install cable lines. It does not require - as in the case of traditional open excavation - the closure of part of the beach for the duration of construction work. It is a safe method, carried out at a considerable depth (about 20-30 meters underground) and allows preserving the tourist and natural values of the area where the work will be carried out.
Steerable drilling will allow four undersea export cables to be routed through four cable channels under the beach towards the onshore transformer station. Each channel will be about 1.2 kilometers long and have an outside diameter of about 90 centimeters. The cable lines along the entire stretch will be laid in the ground, in separate protective pipes. The contractors will provide full support of vessels to carry out this task. The cable installation itself is being carried out under a separate contract.
At the site of the very connection of the two sections of cable lines on land, the contractor will build four underground junction joints (TJB - Transition Joint Bay). The work will be carried out in the village of Lubiatowo in the commune of Choczewo, Wejherowo County.
PGE and Ørsted have already contracted all the necessary components for the Baltica 2 offshore wind farm, and have signed contracts for the installation of foundations, turbines and cables. The partners have also selected a general contractor for the onshore connection infrastructure. They have also obtained all the permits necessary to start construction work. The last step before construction begins will be for the investors to take the final investment decision (FID).
Baltica 2 is one of two stages of the Baltica Offshore Wind Farm – next to Baltica 3. PGE and Ørsted plan to deliver Baltica 2 of 1.5 GW capacity by the end of 2027 and Baltica 3 of 1 GW capacity by 2030. The project is subject to final investment decision. Baltica 2 and Baltica 3 will create the Baltica Offshore Wind Farm of 2,5 GW total capacity. It will contribute significantly to Poland’s green energy transition, delivering clean energy for nearly four million households in Poland.
Learn more about the Baltica Offshore Wind Farm by visiting baltica.energy.
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About the PGE Group
PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna is the largest electric power company and supplier of electricity and heat in Poland. By combining its fuel and power generation resources and having distribution networks, PGE guarantees safe and stable supply of electricity and heat to over 5.6 million customers. The PGE Group’s generating units produce over 40 percent of electricity in Poland. With 7 percent of installed wind farm capacity in Poland the PGE Group is the country’s largest renewable electricity company. The plan for the coming years is to continue developing renewable energy sources – especially based on wind and sun energy, as well as investments in energy storage, construction of a nuclear power plant, upgrade of energy distribution grid and decarbonizing heat generation segment. The PGE Group’s investment plan covers the country’s largest investment in offshore wind power plants. The PGE Group’s Offshore Program includes development of the Baltica Offshore Wind Farm, which runs in two stages – Baltica 2 and Baltica 3, with a total installed capacity of up to 2.5 GW by 2030. Then, after 2030, Baltica 1 project will join the Group’s portfolio. Thanks to new seabed areas acquired in the Baltic Sea the PGE Group will be able to develop further offshore wind projects by 2040. Including currently developed projects it will allow for achieving over 7 GW total capacity installed in the offshore wind. This makes PGE Group the biggest investor in Poland’s offshore wind in terms of capacities planned for development.
About Ørsted
The Ørsted vision is a renewable-only world. The Danish-born company is today in more than a dozen markets, from the United States of America to the European countries to Asia. Poland is one of the key markets for Ørsted, which has been operating for over 10 years now with over 700 employees (approx. 8,000 worldwide). The Baltica Sea Wind Farm with a total capacity of up to 2.5 GW in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea is part of the recently updated Ørsted ambition to reach 30 GW in offshore wind energy by 2030. Ørsted, which has 30 years of experience in the realization and development of offshore wind farms, currently has approx. 12 GW of power installed in this technology worldwide. In addition to offshore wind farms, the company develops, builds, and operates onshore wind farms, solar farms, energy storage and bioelectric plants, and supplies energy products to its customers. We are on the CDP Climate Change List and as a global leader in climate action. In 2022, the group's revenue was DKK 132.3 billion (EUR 17.8 billion).
Contacts for media:
Marcin Poznań
PGE Group
marcin.poznan@gkpge.pl
+48 887 856 620
Beata Głuszcz
Ørsted Poland
beagl@orsted.com
+48 573 412 537