With construction nearing completion, the service base located in the port of Łeba will serve as the operational hub of Poland’s first offshore wind farm, Baltic Power, for the next approximately 30 years. The project, being developed jointly by ORLEN and Northland Power, is finalising preparations for the next phase of the investment – commercial operation. The developer has signed a series of key contracts covering the farm’s long-term maintenance and servicing, with a significant share of the work to be carried out by Polish companies.

– Building a supply chain for the operation and maintenance phase of Baltic Power is an unprecedented undertaking in the Polish energy sector. Around our service base in Łeba, we are creating a broad logistics and maintenance ecosystem, as well as new jobs. We have signed the first contracts for specialist maintenance services, subsea infrastructure inspections, and the operation of offshore and onshore electrical substations. A number of Polish companies and research institutions will be involved in these activities. This is an essential step in Baltic Power’s continued contribution to the development of Poland’s offshore wind sector, the growth of local content and a signal encouraging further investment in this industry – said Maciej Stryjecki, CEO of Baltic Power.

The operational services required for an offshore wind farm are divided into three principal areas:

• Below Water – including seabed inspections, surveys of inter-array and export cables, foundation inspections, geophysical surveys and environmental monitoring.

• Above Water – including comprehensive inspection, maintenance and servicing of offshore and onshore substations, covering high-voltage equipment, transformers, switchgear, control systems, safety systems and fire-protection infrastructure.

• Wind Turbine Maintenance – including scheduled inspections, preventive maintenance, repairs, component replacements, diagnostics, condition monitoring and the maintenance of electrical and mechanical systems.

In addition, the operational phase will require vessel management services, crew transfer operations, transport and logistics support, utility services, inspections and training activities. Many of these services remain a relatively new area of activity on the Polish market and are developing alongside the country’s first offshore wind projects, such as Baltic Power. Despite this, the project has already incorporated Polish companies into its supply chain and continues to cooperate with the sector to expand domestic capabilities.

Below-water operations will be carried out by FON Offshore Services Polska, a specialist in subsea inspections and underwater operations using ROVs and hydrographic survey technologies. FON will be supported in survey and inspection work by, among others, MEWO, GEOxyz and the Maritime Institute in Gdynia.

Omexom and Electrum Solutions have been contracted to provide above-water services, including the maintenance and servicing of offshore and onshore substations.

Responsibility for the operation, maintenance and servicing of the wind turbines themselves falls under a long-term agreement with turbine manufacturer Vestas, which will provide maintenance support for all 76 turbines over the coming years.

– The operational phase of an offshore wind farm also creates a wide range of new jobs and development opportunities. We are currently recruiting marine operations coordinators, offshore service coordinators, SCADA operators, DIRA operators, power infrastructure supervisors, as well as logistics and corporate support personnel. We are also conducting intensive recruitment of technicians and service engineers certified for offshore work. These positions are attracting considerable interest, as offshore wind is a new and highly перспективный sector – said Flemming Ougaard, Director of Operations for Baltic Power.

Baltic Power is currently at an advanced stage of construction. All monopile foundations, transition pieces and both offshore substations have already been installed. Installation of wind turbines and offshore export and inter-array cables is ongoing. More than 45 of the 76 turbines installed to date are already being prepared for testing and commissioning. The offshore installation campaign is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.

Since spring 2025, Baltic Power’s service base in Łeba has been operating as the maintenance and service hub for Poland’s first offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. The facility currently supports the offshore installation campaign and houses the Marine Coordination Centre, which monitors vessel traffic within the wind farm area on a 24/7 basis. Since the start of offshore installation works, more than 80 vessels and nearly 4,500 crew members, contractors and subcontractor personnel have been involved in the project.

Photo: ORLEN press release