Equinor and Polenergia have installed the first offshore wind foundations for Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 in the Baltic Sea, marking the start of a major offshore construction phase.
The first dozen monopile and transition piece sets have been installed as part of the offshore campaign. Polenergia said Heerema Marine Contractors’ heavy-lift vessel Thialf is carrying out the foundation installation work.
The monopiles measure approximately 50 m to 70 m in length, while the transition pieces stand about 17 m tall. During the offshore construction phase, a total of 100 foundation sets will be installed. Offshore substation jackets are also scheduled for installation later this year.
More than a dozen vessels are currently supporting transport, installation, logistics and marine activities during the campaign. The operations and maintenance base in Łeba is providing support for offshore construction and marine coordination activities.
Environmental mitigation measures are also being implemented during installation. These include marine mammal monitoring, soft-start procedures and bubble curtains designed to reduce underwater noise.
Michał Jerzy Kołodziejczyk, country manager Poland at Equinor, said the offshore installation phase had started successfully and that work was progressing according to plan while maintaining safety and quality standards.
Adam Purwin, chief executive of Polenergia, said offshore wind development is becoming increasingly important to Poland’s energy security strategy and that the projects are moving into an active construction stage.
Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 will have a combined generation capacity of 1.4 GW and are expected to provide electricity for approximately two million homes. First power is expected in 2027, with full commercial operations planned for 2028.
