ORLEN Neptun conducts marine environment surveys for the Baltic West project

The range of activities carried out includes both surveys of the elements of inanimate nature and extensive monitoring of living organisms. The works are performed in the Baltic West area, another offshore wind farm being developed by ORLEN Neptun as part of phase II of offshore wind energy development. The project, with a planned capacity of about 4.1 GW, will enable the future supply of clean electricity to more than 5 million households in Poland.

As part of the observation, special attention is paid to groups of organisms that are key to the functioning of the marine ecosystem, i.e. fish, seabirds and migratory birds, marine mammals, and organisms associated with the seabed, including clams, polychaetes, underwater vegetation. Monitoring is carried out on an annual basis, which makes it possible to capture natural seasonal variation and provides a complete picture of the current state of the environment in all seasons.

"Marine environment surveys are an important step in the design of an offshore wind farm. Analyses include abundance, species composition and condition of fish, migration routes of birds, activity of marine mammals and assessment of habitat quality of seabed organisms", explains Marcin Sowiński, Baltic West Project Director. "Results obtained will allow a detailed understanding of conditions in the area of the planned project, preparation of a reliable assessment of its potential environmental impact and development of technical and organizational solutions that will minimize this impact", he adds.

In parallel, ORLEN Neptun carries out surveys of the geological structure of the subsoil under the seabed in the area of the planned farm. Under the current timeline, the Baltic West farm is expected to deliver its first energy from 2034 onwards.