Offshore staff
STAVANGER, Norway – Poland’s Energy Regulatory Office has awarded contracts for difference (CfD) to Equinor and Polenergia’s Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III offshore wind projects in the Baltic Sea.
This award confirms the projects’ inclusion in the first phase of Poland’s offshore wind development plan. The country wants to develop 5.9 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and up to 11 GW by 2040.
Pål Eitrheim, Equinor’s executive vice president for New Energy Solutions, said: “The CfD awards to the Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III projects represent a breakthrough for Equinor in Poland and supports the country’s ambitions to transform its energy mix. Full-scale development of the two projects will constitute an offshore wind hub in the Baltic Sea.”
The CfDs are awarded at PLN 319.60 per MWh for up to 25 years, subject to some adjustments and final approval from Polish authorities and the European Commission.
With a combined capacity of 1,440 MW, Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III could power two million Polish homes.
Pending all necessary agreements and permits, and subject to the final investment decision from Equinor and Polenergia, construction work could start as early as 2024. Equinor will operate the projects through the development, construction, and operations phases.
The projects cover a combined area of about 240 sq km (93 sq mi) located between 22 km and 37 km (14 mi and 23 mi) from the Polish coast. The water depths range from 25 to 40 m (82 to 131 ft).
Ingunn Svegården, Equinor’s vice president for Emerging Regions in New Energy Solutions, said: “The Baltic Sea will be a significant resource for offshore wind energy, and we are only in the early stages of realizing its full potential.”
Equinor is jointly developing the Bałtyk I, Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III projects with Polenergia.
05/04/2021
