Polish energy company ORLEN has completed the first of four directional drills under the coastline and seabed for the Baltic Power offshore wind farm.
The 1.4km tunnel is designed to hold 30cm diameter transmission cables which will connect the Baltic Power offshore wind farm to its onshore substation.
The tunnel was created using Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), marking the first large-scale use of HDD technology in Poland. Part of the drilling operation took place offshore, using divers and a jack-up rig to complete the underwater section.
According to ORLEN, the drilling will result in the extraction of over 8,000 m³ of spoil from all four drills, with the sand used in beach restoration efforts after winter storms.
Jarosław Broda, member of the Baltic Power Management Board commented in a statement: “We have completed the first and are carrying out further drilling for submarine cables connecting offshore substations to land. This is the first project of its kind in Poland and is unique compared to other offshore wind projects carried out in Europe.”
“In Europe, shoreline crossing drills are typically shorter, and when they are longer, the drill diameter is usually smaller. For Baltic Power, we are undertaking a significant engineering challenge, drilling nearly 1.5 kilometres under dunes, the beach, and the seabed. It’s not possible to drill from just one side, but we are working to ensure minimal environmental disruption,” added Jens Poulsen, member of the Baltic Power Management Board.
The onshore substation is also being built approximately 8km away in Osieki Lęborskie, which will receive the energy from the wind farm and integrate it into the national grid. Completion of the substation is expected in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The power line linking to the substation will also be installed underground and is being designed to minimise environmental impact.
Baltic Power is being developed by ORLEN in partnership with Canadian independent power producer, Northland Power.
Located 23km to the north of the Polish coastline, the 1140MW wind farm is one of the most advanced projects planned in the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone in the Baltic Sea.
The project is unique states ORLEN as this is one of the first projects in the world to instal 15MW wind turbines and one of the first in the world to have a significant portion of its turbine towers made of low-carbon steel.
The height of the turbines will exceed 200 metres and the rotor area of each turbine is approximately 43,000m2.
With completion in 2026, Baltic Power will be the first Polish offshore wind farm operating in the Baltic Sea, covering 3% of the country’s energy needs.
According to the International Energy Agency, Poland is pushing to become a major player in offshore wind, aiming for at least 3.4GW of capacity by 2030.
