en.Wedoany.com Reported - On June 8, Poland's first offshore wind project, Baltic Power, signed the first batch of key contracts for the operation and maintenance phase. Jointly developed by Poland's ORLEN and Canada's Northland Power, the project plans to use the Leba service base in Poland as its core to provide long-term O&M, overhaul, and offshore operation support for the Baltic Sea offshore wind farm over an approximately 30-year operational period.

Located about 23 kilometers north of the Polish coast, the Baltic Power offshore wind farm has a planned total capacity of approximately 1.2 GW, with a target installed capacity of 1,140 MW. It will install 76 offshore wind turbines of 15 MW class. Once completed, it is expected to generate about 4 billion kWh of electricity annually, meeting the power needs of over 1.5 million households, equivalent to approximately 3% of Poland's current electricity demand. The project is currently in the peak phase of offshore installation. All monopile foundations, transition pieces, and two offshore substations have been installed. The installation of wind turbines, offshore export cables, and array cables is underway. Among the 76 turbines, over 45 have entered testing and commissioning preparation. The signing of these first O&M contracts indicates that the project has established a local service system for the commercial operation phase ahead of the full completion of construction.

Underwater operations will be undertaken by FON Offshore Polska, covering services such as seabed, array cable, export cable, and foundation structure surveys, as well as underwater geophysical surveys and environmental monitoring. Institutions including MEWO, GEOxyz, and the Maritime Institute in Gdynia will participate in related inspection and research work. Maintenance of onshore and offshore substations will be handled by Omexom and Electrum Solutions, involving high-voltage equipment, transformers, switchgear, control rooms, safety systems, and fire protection infrastructure. Long-term turbine overhaul, component replacement, diagnostic monitoring, and mechanical and electrical system maintenance will be undertaken by Vestas, which is also the supplier of the project's 76 turbines of 15 MW class. As the Leba service base gradually transitions from a construction support center to an O&M center, there will be sustained demand for personnel in areas such as offshore traffic coordination, SCADA system operation, power infrastructure supervision, maritime logistics, vessel dispatch, training, and logistics support.

Poland has long relied on coal-fired power, and offshore wind is seen as a key pillar for its power structure transformation. As the country's first offshore wind farm to enter substantial construction and commissioning, Baltic Power is not just adding a power generation asset; it is also driving the establishment of a local offshore wind supply chain, port services, maritime O&M, and high-voltage electrical service systems in Poland. The work involved in the O&M phase is highly specialized, requiring capabilities in turbine overhaul and electrical systems, as well as underwater robot inspection, marine meteorological assessment, offshore traffic management, emergency response, and long-term asset monitoring. The high participation rate of Polish companies and research institutions in the first batch of contracts helps retain the technology, jobs, and service demands brought by large-scale offshore wind projects locally, accumulating engineering experience for subsequent offshore wind projects in the Baltic Sea.

Project installation activities are expected to be completed in the second half of 2026. As turbine commissioning and grid connection preparations progress, Baltic Power will transition from a construction project to a long-term power asset management phase. If it becomes operational as planned, the project will serve as the starting point for Poland's offshore wind industry and will establish a replicable O&M model for the Central and Eastern European region, covering port bases, submarine cable inspection, offshore substation maintenance, and long-term turbine services.

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