Łeba to become location for operations and maintenance base for Polish Baltic Sea offshore wind projects
Equinor has completed the acquisition of a site at the port of Łeba to serve as the operations and maintenance (O&M) base for the Polish Baltic Sea offshore wind projects. The announcement makes Equinor the first developer to confirm an offshore wind maintenance port in Poland together with the joint venture partner Polenergia, according to the company's release.
Equinor will construct, own and operate the base which will support the Bałtyk offshore wind projects of Equinor and partner Polenergia, and could also support additional activities in the future. Equinor and Polenergia are currently jointly developing the Bałtyk III, Bałtyk II and Bałtyk I offshore wind projects. Bałtyk III and Bałtyk II, with a combined potential capacity of 1440 MW, were awarded contracts for difference (CfD) by Poland’s Energy Regulatory Office on May 4, 2021.
The planned O&M base would serve as the logistics hub for the Bałtyk projects, with an office, storage, and transportation facilities. The proximity of Łeba to the Bałtyk offshore wind farm areas will contribute to optimizing safety and operation costs.
An investment located in Łeba will bring opportunities for the city as well as the wider region in terms of local supply chain and employment. The jobs required to operate an offshore wind farm include maintenance technician roles, that will predominately be based offshore, as well as office-based teams to support the operations from land.
The Bałtyk projects of Equinor and Polenergia are among the largest offshore wind farms under development in Poland. Bałtyk III and Bałtyk II could generate enough renewable offshore wind energy to power two million Polish homes. Construction of the wind farms infrastructure could begin as soon as 2024.
MFW Bałtyk II and MFW Bałtyk III are a 50:50 joint venture between Equinor and Polenergia with a potential capacity of up to 1440 MW. Equinor is the operator of the projects through the development, construction, and operations phases.
MFW Bałtyk II and MFW Bałtyk III cover a combined area of approximately 240 square kilometers located between 22 km and 37 km from the coast. The water depths range from around 25 to 40 meters.
In additional to MFW Bałtyk II and MFW Bałtyk III, Equinor and Polenergia are jointly developing the MFW Bałtyk I area, with the potential to generate up to 1560 MW. MFW Bałtyk I is following a different timeline and is being matured accordingly.
About Equinor
Equinor’s ambition is to be a leading company in the energy transition, building a material position in renewable energy. Equinor powers more than one million homes in Europe with renewable electricity from offshore wind farms in the UK and Germany.
The company is building material offshore wind clusters in the North Sea, the US east coast and the Baltic Sea. In Poland, Equinor is involved in three offshore wind projects: MFW Bałtyk I, MFW Bałtyk II and MFW Bałtyk III. Equinor and Polenergia each hold a 50% interest in the three projects.
