Poland – Equinor has completed the purchase of an Łeba port property to serve as the operations and maintenance (O&M) base for the Polish Baltic Sea offshore wind projects.
The announcement makes Equinor the first developer to confirm an offshore wind maintenance port in Poland together with the joint venture partner Polenergia.
Equinor-operated base
Equinor will build, own, and operate the base, which will support the Bałtyk offshore wind projects of Equinor and partner Polenergia, as well as potential future activities. Equinor and Polenergia are now working together to build the offshore wind projects Bałtyk III, Bałtyk II, and Bałtyk I. Recently, Poland’s Energy Regulatory Office awarded contracts for difference (CfD) to Bałtyk III and Bałtyk II, with a combined maximum capacity of 1440 MW.
With an office, storage, and transportation facilities, the projected O&M facility would serve as the logistics hub for the Bałtyk projects. The proximity of Łeba to the areas of the Bałtyk offshore wind farm will help to optimize safety and operation costs.
New opportunities for Łeba
An investment located in Łeba will bring opportunities for the city as well as the wider region in terms of local supply chain and employment. The jobs required to operate an offshore wind farm include maintenance technician roles, that will predominately be based offshore, as well as office-based teams to support the operations from land.
The Bałtyk projects of Equinor and Polenergia are among the largest offshore wind farms under development in Poland. Bałtyk III and Bałtyk II could generate enough renewable offshore wind energy to power two million Polish homes. Construction of the wind farms infrastructure could begin as soon as 2024.
