Equinor and Polenergia have completed over a year of wind and wave strength tests for the most advanced project, of the so-called second phase of Polish offshore wind – OWF Bałtyk I. Sea and meteorological data collected by the device dubbed "Anna" will make it possible to determine the expected energy production from the wind farm, as well as to create its design from foundations to blades.

– Wind research is an important step in the implementation of the Baltic I offshore wind farm, which is the most advanced project of the second phase of the development of the offshore wind sector in Poland. Our goal is to prepare the project for the auction planned for 2025. The continuity of the implementation of wind farm projects in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea, and thus the pace of energy transformation in Poland, depends on the success of this auction. That is why we are ready to support our partners with our experience and capabilities in the implementation of offshore investments and to cooperate to increase the competitiveness of this market – says Michał Kołodziejczyk, President of Equinor in Poland.

Wind and wave strength tests are a significant input to the environmental impact assessment report being prepared, on the basis of which the application for an environmental decision will be prepared. It is a document necessary to participate in an auction for offshore wind energy.

Since the research began on International Women's Day, the team decided to name the LiDAR buoy used for the measurements "Anna". Data was collected for over 12 months in the Baltic I offshore farm, 81 km from the coastline.

LiDAR enables accurate measurement of wind speed, which is crucial for determining energy production in a given location. The device also measures the height and length of waves, the direction of sea currents and the temperature. The use of this method is an alternative to traditional metocean measurements carried out using measuring masts.

The wind tests were carried out by the international company RPS, which has experience in implementing such projects all over the world. All work was closely monitored by meteorology and oceanography experts from RPS and Equinor to ensure data quality and consistency. The subcontractors responsible for placing the devices at sea and towing them to the port after the end of the campaign were Polish companies MEWO and Fairplay Towage Polska.

– We want as many Polish companies as possible to participate in the development of the Baltic I offshore wind farm. We are glad that we are once again connecting Polish entities that know local conditions well with international partners who can share their experience and know-how – says Maciej Stryjecki, Director of the Department of Offshore Wind Farms in Polenergia.

Equinor and Polenergia are jointly developing three offshore wind farm projects in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea. Their total capacity will reach 3 GW. This means that the farms will be able to produce enough energy to power over 4 million Polish households. According to the schedule, Bałtyk I, with a capacity of 1.56 GW, will be launched in 2029. Two years earlier, the Baltic II and Bałtyk III offshore farms with a total capacity of 1.44 GW will start producing energy.

The Bałtyk 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.