ORLEN Group opens the first offshore wind installation terminal in Poland. First contract already in place
The installation terminal in Świnoujście is our next pioneering offshore wind investment in Poland. We are building a new, promising industry. Offshore wind will not only power households, transportation, businesses with clean and stable energy, but will also support the development of new areas of industry. It is from the Świnoujście Offshore Terminal that we will implement future offshore wind projects, in which the share of Polish capital will be nearly half. We have already signed a contract with one of the world leaders in the industry, Ocean Winds, as well as agreements that will allow the existing infrastructure to store wind turbine components. Our investment provides a great opportunity for the entire region and for Polish companies operating offshore wind energy. - says Ireneusz Fąfara, CEO of ORLEN S.A.
Świnoujście Offshore Terminal will eventually be operated by several dozens of workers. It has been designed to receive the largest vessels - jack-up and heavy-lift, intended for offshore wind farm projects with 15 MW turbines. The terminal allows for unloading and loading, as well as storing of elements used in the construction of wind farms, including monopile foundations, towers, blades, nacelles, and elements for cabling. In addition, the terminal's infrastructure allows it to accept superstructures weighing up to 24,000 tons.
The location of Świnoujście Offshore Terminal provides convenient rail, ferry, air and road access. In addition, the inland location guarantees optimal weather conditions. The terminal in Świnoujście will be used primarily for the installation of components of ORLEN Group's offshore wind farms - Baltic East and subsequent investments. The facility will also be available to other operators with investments in German, Swedish or Danish waters.
- Impressive parameters of our terminal make it attractive to European offshore wind farm operators. In the coming years, it will be one of the few installation ports in the region that can handle projects with wind turbines of about 15 MW. Already today, interest in our investment is high - we are simultaneously opening the terminal and signing the first contract for its long-term lease with one of the largest offshore wind developers in the world. - says Janusz Bil, CEO of ORLEN Neptun.
The agreement signed by ORLEN Neptun with Ocean Winds' Spanish-French consortium concerns the lease of almost the entire terminal area. It will be used for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm project, located about 150 nautical miles, or about 228 kilometers, from the port of Świnoujście.
The terminal will be used for the delivery, storage and initial preparation of foundations, which will then be transported to the installation site. The loading of components onto specialized installation vessels will also take place in Świnoujście. Handling and port services will be provided by local companies that have internationally aquired experience.
- We are pleased to have established cooperation and to have chosen Świnoujście Offshore Terminal as a key part of the implementation of the BC-Wind offshore wind farm. It is a modern infrastructure that fully meets our technical and schedule requirements. The BC-Wind project is the first Ocean Winds project to be developed in the Baltic and it is an example real involvement of the domestic supply chain in our investments. We are committed to building value together with our Polish partners and strengthening the competencies of the domestic offshore wind market - says Kacper Kostrzewa, Project Director at Ocean Winds Poland.
The launch of the Świnoujście Offshore Terminal is part of ORLEN2035 strategy, which sets out plans for dynamic development of renewable energy. The ORLEN Group plans to reach 12.8 GW of installed capacity in renewable energy sources within 10 years, including about 6.4 GW from offshore wind farms.
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