Poland Approves Orlen’s Offshore Wind Farm

Poland’s Infrastructure Ministry has granted final approval to Polish oil refiner Orlen for licenses to build five offshore wind farm development sites in the Baltic Sea. The project’s preparatory phase will soon begin, with construction scheduled to commence in 2024 and electricity generation expected to start by 2026. Four of the proposed locations are situated on the Oder Bank near the coastal city of Ko?obrzeg, while the fifth is located on the S?upsk Bank off Poland’s coast. The cumulative output capacity of these five sites is estimated to reach around 5.2GW.

These development sites are in addition to the Baltic Power wind farm project, a joint venture between Orlen and Canadian power producer Northland Power. The Baltic Power project, currently the largest proposed offshore wind farm in Poland, is set to have a capacity of 1.2GW. Orlen’s CEO, Daniel Obajtek, stated that the company is consolidating its position as a leader in offshore wind farm development projects in Poland and remains committed to launching the first wind farm in the Polish section of the Baltic Sea.

These offshore wind farm projects are seen as pivotal in strengthening Poland’s economic competitiveness and growth, while also contributing to the country’s energy security and commitment to renewable energy. Orlen Group aims to achieve 9GW of installed renewable energy capacity, and these additional projects will help in realizing this ambition.

Howard Rhodes