"Anna" surveyed wind and wave intensity for the Baltic I offshore wind farm project
Equinor and Polenergia have completed a year-long study of wind and wave intensity for the most advanced project of the so-called Polish second phase of offshore development - the Baltic I offshore wind farm. The ocean and meteorological data collected by the device christened 'Anna' will allow the projected energy production of the offshore wind farm to be determined, and its design to be initiated - from the location of the turbines to the selection of foundations or blades.
- Wind research is an important step in the realisation of the Baltic I offshore wind farm, which is the most advanced project of the second phase of offshore wind development in Poland. Our goal is to prepare the project to participate in the auction planned for 2025. The continuity of wind farm projects in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea, and thus the pace of the energy transition in Poland, depends on the success of this auction. Therefore, we are ready to support our partners with our experience and capabilities in the implementation of offshore investments and cooperate to increase the competitiveness of this market, says Michał Kołodziejczyk, President of Equinor in Poland.
Wind and wave intensity research is an important input to the prepared environmental impact assessment report, on the basis of which an application for an environmental decision will be prepared. This is an essential document for participation in the offshore wind energy auction.
As the research started on International Women's Day, the team decided to name the LiDAR buoy used for the measurements 'Anna'. Data was collected over 12 months in the area of the planned offshore wind farm Baltic I, 81 km from the coastline.
LiDAR enables accurate measurement of wind speed, which is crucial for determining energy production at a given location. The device also measures wave height and length, direction of sea currents and temperature. The use of this method is an alternative to traditional metocean measurements carried out with survey masts.
The wind surveys were carried out by RPS, an international company with experience of such projects around the world. The entire work was closely monitored by meteorological and oceanographic experts from RPS and Equinor to ensure high quality and consistent data. The subcontractors responsible for placing the equipment at sea and towing it to port after the campaign were Polish companies -MEWO and Fairplay Towage Poland.
- It is important to us that as many Polish companies as possible participate in the development of the Baltic I offshore wind farm. We are glad that once again we are bringing together Polish entities that know the local conditions well with international partners who can share their experience and know-how, says Maciej Stryjecki, Director of the Offshore Wind Farm Department at Polenergia.
Equinor and Polenergia are jointly developing three offshore wind farm projects in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea. Their combined capacity will reach 3 GW. This means that the farms will be able to produce enough energy to power more than 4 million Polish households. According to the schedule, the Bałtyk I project, with a capacity of 1.56 GW, will be launched in 2029. Two years earlier, offshore wind farms Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III, with a total capacity of 1.44 GW, will start producing energy.
The Bałtyk I, II and III offshore wind projects implemented by Equinor and Polenergia are an important part of the transformation of the Polish energy sector, which assumes the construction of offshore power plants with a total capacity of nearly 11 GW in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea by 2040.