Siemens Gamesa Will Supply Turbines for Polish Offshore Wind Farms
Poland’s pursuit of offshore wind took a step forward with the announcement that Siemens Gamesa will supply turbines for two new installations in the Baltic Sea.
The MFW Baltyk II and MFW Baltyk III projects, being developed by Equinor and Polenergia, will use SG 14-236 DD offshore wind turbines, as part of two “Preferred Supplier Agreements” announced Feb. 22. Siemens Gamesa on Tuesday said the deals are the first conditional agreements for use of the SG 14-236 DD equipment.
Baltyk II and Baltyk III are located south of the Baltyk I development in the Baltic Sea. Baltyk I, also being developed by Polenergia and Equinor, is situated on the border of the Polish exclusive economic zone in the vicinity of the municipal commune Łeba in the Pomorskie Province, about 81 kilometers (km) or 50 miles from the port in Łeba. The two additional Baltyk offshore wind farms also are in the Polish exclusive economic zone, and will each have about 720 MW of generation capacity. They are located 37 km (23 miles) and 22 km (13.6 miles), respectively, from the coast of Poland.
Polish officials have said the country wants to develop 5.9 GW of offshore wind generation capacity by 2030, and up to 11 GW by 2040.
The agreements announced Tuesday include a service contract, in addition to the supply of wind turbines. A final investment decision and required permitting for the Baltyk II and Baltyk III installations is expected in 2024, with first power expected to be delivered in 2027.
“Once more, Siemens Gamesa is thrilled to be leading the offshore revolution, powering the start of another nation’s offshore wind adventure,” said Marc Becker, CEO of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit, in a statement. “Doing so with our newest offshore turbine—the SG 14-236 DD—will allow us to provide proven technology and unequalled experience to Poland from the outset. We can help unlock the power of wind as the country works towards meeting its impressive renewable energy goals.”
“With this 1.44 GW development, Equinor and Polenergia have signaled their full commitment to the Polish offshore wind power market, and to the country as a whole,” said Pawel Przybylski, managing director of Siemens Gamesa Poland. “Siemens Gamesa is pleased to be able to contribute the experience, reliability, and technology to help deliver on this. We have a wealth of Polish suppliers already in our supply chain and are encouraged by the opportunities which look to arise as the industry grows domestically.”
Polish officials have moved quickly to add wind power generation capacity after the country’s Energy Regulatory Office granted permission for companies to build wind power facilities. The Baltyk I project, with generation capacity of as much as 1.56 GW, is expected to come online in 2026.
Ingunn Svegården, an Equinor executive, last year said of his country’s interest in Polish offshore wind, “The Baltic Sea will be a significant resource for offshore wind energy, and we are only in the early stages of realizing its full potential.”
Pål Eitrheim, another Equinor executive, said of the Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III projects: “Full-scale development of the two projects will constitute an offshore wind hub in the Baltic Sea. It will create industrial activity and jobs to support the Polish economy, and supply low-cost renewable electricity to Polish homes and businesses.”
—Darrell Proctor is a senior associate editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).