Coalition of the Port of Gdynia, Kosakowo commune, the city of Rumia and city of Gdynia have signed a letter of intent regarding the construction of offshore windfarms in the southern Baltic.
The announcement comes as plans to develop offshore windfarms in the Polish sector of the Baltic continue to advance after the country announced ambitious plans to develop 8 GW of offshore wind by 2035.
Poland’s energy and electricity markets are undergoing major changes and, as costs continue to fall in the offshore wind industry, so it is becoming price-competitive with more carbon-intensive forms of energy that have long dominated in the country.
The Polish Government is expected to publish legislation later this year that will pave the way for the large-scale roll-out of offshore windfarms in the country.
Responding to the plans, and the need to develop logistic hubs for constructing offshore windfarms in Polish waters, Port of Gdynia said it is working closely with Rumia and Kosakowo to develop facilities necessary to supporting offshore wind. They believe this has the potential to create a significant number of jobs.
Port of Gdynia has long experience in handling oversize cargo such as components for offshore wind turbines and has already handled components for projects outside the country.
Port of Gdynia president Adam Meller said the port has conducted an analysis of its infrastructure, marine and navigation facilities and land available that could be adapted to act as a staging area for offshore wind components. “The results indicate that we are ready to service offshore windfarms, both during the construction and operation phases,” he said. He noted that constructing offshore windfarms in the Polish Baltic could get underway in 2022, and that windfarm-related work would be ongoing for at least a couple of decades.
Port of Gdynia vice president Grzegorz Dyrmo said the participation by the port, city of Gdynia, Rumia and Kosakowo in offshore wind would be a “huge undertaking” but would ensure not only the development of the Port of Gdynia but the entire region, which would be involved in constructing, operating and servicing offshore windfarms.
Source: https://www.rivieramm.com/news-content-hub/news-content-hub/polish-port-plans-investment-in-baltic-offshore-wind-55689