The Baltica 2 offshore wind farm — a joint project of PGE and Ørsted — will consist not only of 107 turbines with a total capacity of 1.5 GW, but also four offshore substations. Each of them will be equipped with two 225 MVA transformers. The first transformer has now been installed on one of the stations. This marks an important milestone in the production of key components for the Baltica 2 project.

The role of the offshore substations is to collect the electricity generated by the wind turbines and transmit it to shore. Each substation consists of five levels, with overall dimensions of 45 x 25 x 20 metres and a weight of around 3,000 tonnes. The stations are unmanned — technicians will only visit them for maintenance and necessary repairs.

“An offshore substation is the heart of a wind farm. These massive structures are crucial for ensuring the efficiency of offshore wind power, as they enable the transmission of energy from turbines located around 40 km off the coast for the Baltica 2 project. The installation of the first transformer is a symbolic moment, demonstrating that production of further key components for Poland’s largest offshore wind farm is progressing according to schedule and the highest safety standards,” said Ulrik Lange, Managing Director of the Baltica 2 project at Ørsted.

“Entering the next stage of offshore substation production is a clear signal of the project’s advancement. We are in the final stage of preparing the wind farm for offshore construction. Work on the substations is an example of international cooperation among several entities — a hallmark of the global offshore wind industry,” said Bartosz Fedurek, CEO of PGE Baltica.

The substations are being built under a contract signed by Ørsted and PGE with the SEMCO Maritime and PTSC Mechanical & Construction consortium, covering the design, construction, and commissioning of four stations for Baltica 2. Another essential part of their equipment will be specialist cranes supplied by the Polish company PROTEA SA.

This achievement is the result of thousands of hours of focus, skill, and teamwork — 3.3 million work-hours without any lost-time incidents, and 22 critical lifts on the upper deck carried out safely and precisely.

Work on the substations is progressing on schedule. The structures of the first two are already complete, while assembly of the remaining two is underway, ensuring that the entire Baltica 2 transmission system will be ready for commissioning activities planned for 2027.

With up to 1.5 GW of capacity, Baltica 2 is a joint investment by PGE and Ørsted. Once launched in 2027, it will be the largest offshore wind farm in Poland, capable of supplying green energy to around 2.5 million households.