Wind energy, currently providing around 2% of electrical energy, is a global leader in green solutions and is developing much faster than traditional energy technologies and other renewable energy sources. One of the most promising regions in Poland for this energy sector is the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. According to a report by Cushman & Wakefield “On the wave of logistics and warehouse business in West Pomerania”, we are already seeing the development of large, professional wind farms in this region, which leads in terms of economic potential of this kind of energy, reaching 14,000 MW, and thus exceeding the Pomeranian and Lower Silesian voivodships by 40%.
Offshore wind power (MEW) is a relatively new sector of the economy in Poland, the development potential of which is gaining importance in light of initiatives taken at the European Union level. The aim of these efforts is to achieve zero emissions from the EU’s socio-economic system.
As shown in the Cushman & Wakefield report, the estimated potential of power generated by offshore wind energy in seas around EU countries is 220-440 GW by 2050. Meanwhile, according to the “Polish Energy Policy until 2040”, investments in offshore wind energy in our country could generate a power capacity of up to 11 GW over the next 20 years.
The cost of building seven wind farms is projected to be 100 billion PLN. The first of these are expected to be operational between 2026 and 2027. Such projects provide development opportunities for many other sectors, including R&D, services, production, maritime economy or construction sector. West Pomeranian Voivodeship, with its 8,000 ha of high-class investment lands, including 1,200 ha with the status of a special economic zone, will undoubtedly be one of the key regions for locating such investments, comments Damian Kołata, Head of Industrial & Logistics in Poland and Head of E-Commerce in the CEE region at Cushman & Wakefield.
In 2021, both at the level of the Metropolis of Szczecin and the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, programs were implemented aimed at supporting the development of the MEW sector. The actions taken have allowed for a preliminary assessment of the potential of Szczecin and the entire region associated with offshore wind energy as a component of the offshore sector.
One of the key offshore wind investments in the region will be the Baltic Power Project in Świnoujście. This is going to be the first installation terminal in Poland as part of a joint project by ORLEN Group and Northland Power. The farm, with a potential capacity of 1.2 GW, will be capable of supplying clean energy to over 1.5 million households after its completion in 2026, adds Paulina Machałowska, Associate.
Components of offshore wind farms will be delivered to the approximately 20-hectare site of Baltic Power’s installation terminal in Świnoujście, including turbines manufactured by Vestas.
Vestas is set to deliver components for 76 state-of-the-art turbines with a capacity of 15 MW for the initial Baltic Power project. Concurrently, Vestas has decided to build a factory in Szczecin, where turbine gondolas and hubs will be assembled. The plant will supply the produced components both to the Polish market and global markets. The factory is set to start operations in the second half of 2024 and will create between 600 and 700 jobs, summarizes Adrian Semaan, Senior Consultant for Research.
