The installation terminal of the ORLEN Group in the port of Swinoujscie to start work in 2025
The first installation terminal in Poland located in Świnoujście and the Vestas turbine factory in Szczecin are new investments related to the Baltic Power offshore wind farm, according to Szczecin and Swinoujscie Seaports Authority's release. The joint project of the ORLEN Group and Northland Power will use 76 modern 15 MW turbines from Vestas, the components of which will be manufactured in a new factory in Szczecin. The turbine factory, which will employ up to 700 people, will be completed in 2024, while the installation terminal of the ORLEN Group in the port of Świnoujście will start work in 2025.
The investment of the ORLEN Group in the construction of the installation terminal at the Port of Swinoujscie is crucial both from the point of view of the schedule of the Baltic Power project and subsequent projects in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea planned by ORLEN Neptun by 2040.
Offshore wind farm components, including turbines manufactured by Vestas, will be delivered to the terminal area of approximately 20 hectares. Each of the two available quays will allow for the initial assembly of wind turbine towers over 100 meters high and weighing approximately 1,000 tons each. The length of the quays, amounting to 250 meters in both cases, will enable the operation of the largest specialized jack-up vessels currently available for the installation of offshore wind farm components. According to the plan, the port will start work in 2025, and about 100 people will find employment there during the installation work.
The first project to be implemented using the installation terminal in Świnoujście will be Baltic Power, a joint venture of the ORLEN Group and Northland Power. Thanks to the intensive work of almost 90 experts from 10 countries, it is currently the most advanced project in the Polish waters of the Baltic Sea. The company has already secured all the key elements of the offshore wind farm as part of the supply chain, which also includes Polish companies.
The Baltic Power wind farm will use 76 turbines with a capacity of 15 MW each, supplied by Vestas. It is currently one of the most modern turbines available on the market, and the Baltic Power farm will be one of the first in the world where they will be installed.
The cooperation with Vestas includes the delivery and installation of turbines and ensuring their full service for up to 15 years. In addition, the company, seeing the potential for further development of offshore wind projects implemented in Poland, decided to locate a new factory of offshore wind turbine elements in Szczecin.
Turbine nacelles and hubs will be assembled at the new Vestas factory. The facility located in Western Pomerania will deliver manufactured elements both to the Polish and global markets. The factory is expected to start operating in the second half of 2024 and will create between 600 and 700 jobs. Thus, it will be the largest production plant in Poland directly related to the offshore wind farm sector.
The Baltic Power farm, with a capacity of up to 1.2 GW, will be located approx. 23 km from the shore at the height of Choczewo and Łeba. After completion of construction in 2026, it will be able to supply more than 1.5 million households with clean energy.
