Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE) and Ørsted have signed a contract for the next delivery of foundations for Baltica 2 – one of the two stages of the Baltica Offshore Wind Farm, PGE announced. This is the last of the agreements regarding the supply of key elements for the offshore part of the Baltica 2 project, closing the so-called Tier 1 level in the maritime investment area.
“We have already contracted all the key components for the offshore part of Baltica 2. The completed tenders and signed contracts best demonstrate the advancement of the project preparation. This investment with an installed capacity of 1.5 GW is the largest energy project in Polish history based on renewable energy sources, and we are only talking about the first stage. The Baltica Offshore Wind Farm with a capacity of 2.5 GW will be ready this decade. We are also noticing an increasing interest of Polish enterprises in cooperation in the implementation of this project, which was clearly shown by the turnout during the supplier day, which PGE organized together with Ørsted in October,” said Wojciech Dąbrowski, president of PGE, quoted in the release.
“The tender process for all key components for Baltica 2 took place in 2022 and early 2023, at a time of unprecedented macroeconomic challenges resulting from the war in Ukraine, supply chain problems, high inflation and rising interest rates. Despite these huge challenges, we managed to finalize all contracts for key Tier 1 components in the offshore part. This is a great success that would not be possible without cooperation with our business partners. We are also very pleased that the contracted suppliers declare their willingness to cooperate with Polish sub-suppliers, which was clearly expressed during the suppliers’ day organized together with PGE at the beginning of October. This is an important impulse to create new industries in our country,” added Agata Staniewska, managing director of Ørsted Offshore Poland.
The company selected in the tender, Steelwind Nordenham, specializes in the production of monopiles – the type of foundation that will be used in the construction of Baltica 2, which will consist of 107 turbines and 4 marine transformer stations. Steelwind will deliver 34 such foundations. The schedule assumes the start of foundation production in the second half of 2025. Previously, PGE and Ørsted signed a contract for the supply of 77 monopiles for turbines and marine transformer stations from the Navantia-Windar consortium. Production of monopiles for Baltica 2 by Navantia and Windar will start in 2024.
Ørsted and PGE plan to complete the construction of the Baltica 2 stage with a capacity of approximately 1.5 GW by the end of 2027, and the Baltica 3 stage with a capacity of approximately 1 GW by the end of 2029. Investors are still waiting to make the final investment decision (FID). Baltica 2 and Baltica 3 will create the Baltica Offshore Wind Farm with a total capacity of 2.5 GW.
Ørsted Wind Power A/S belongs to the Danish energy group headed by Ørsted A/S. The Ørsted Group mainly develops, builds and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, solar farms, energy storage and bioenergy plants.
The PGE Group produces 41% of net electricity production in Poland, and its share in the heat market is 18%. The Group estimates its share in the renewable energy market at 10%. In a distribution area of approx. 123 thousand km2 PGE serves 5.5 million customers. Its market share in terms of the volume of distributed electricity is 25% and sales to end users – 33%. The company has been listed on the WSE since 2009.