First connection of the Baltic Power wind farm to land
In the vicinity of Lubiatowo, work has been completed on the first of four boreholes under the seafront, beach and seabed, which was drilled without direct interference with valuable natural areas. This element of the project will enable the Baltic Power offshore wind farm to be connected to the onshore receiving station. Energy transmission cables will be placed in the 1.4 km long tunnel. The work was carried out using steerable drilling technology.
The completed section allowed the creation of the first of four underground corridors in which cables with a diameter of 30 cm will be routed. This was the first use of steerable drilling technology on such a large scale in Poland. Part of the drilling work took place at sea, using diving teams and a specialised drilling platform, the so-called jack-up rig. In total, more than 8,000 m3 of spoil will be extracted from all drillings. Tests commissioned by Baltic Power have confirmed that the excavated sand is clean and suitable for the reconstruction of beaches disturbed by storms during the winter.
– Work on Baltic Power, the largest renewable energy investment in our region, is proceeding on schedule and is already well advanced. We have completed the first and are carrying out further drillings for the submarine cables connecting offshore substations to the mainland. The guided drilling method we used here, instead of traditional excavation, is safer for the environment. This is the first task of its kind in Poland and is unique compared to other offshore wind projects carried out in Europe,’ says Jarosław Broda, Member of the Board of Baltic Power.
– In Europe, drillings crossing coastlines are usually shorter. On the other hand, for longer sections, the diameter of the drilling is usually smaller. In the case of Baltic Power, the work is an engineering challenge, as the drilling is almost one and a half kilometres long. It runs under a dune, the beach and the seabed. It is not possible to drill it on one side only. Nevertheless, our work is carried out in such a way as to cause as little interference with the environment as possible,’ says Jens Poulsen, Member of the Board of Baltic Power.
All the works are carried out in such a way as to minimise their potential inconvenience for residents and tourists as well as the environment. During the tourist season, heavy transports reach the drilling site mainly at night, and vehicles move at a speed of 10 km/h assisted by a pilot. In consultation with the authorities, the local community and representatives of the tourism industry, it was also agreed that the beach access popular with tourists and cyclists, in the vicinity of which the works are being carried out, would be kept open at all times and that access to the beach would be unrestricted.
At the same time, work is underway in Osieki Lęborskie, about 8 km away from the drilling site, on the construction of an onshore substation. Together with a cable connection, it will enable the reception of energy generated by the Baltic Power farm and its connection to the National Power System. The power line leading to the substation will also be placed underground. The route of the onshore cable route was designed together with investors of other offshore wind farms in order to minimise interference with the natural environment and to avoid valuable natural areas. The construction of the transformer station (ONS) is more than 40 per cent advanced. It is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The Baltic Power offshore wind farm is the most advanced offshore wind project in Poland. At the same time, it will be one of the world’s first farms, with wind turbines of 15 MW each, whose towers will be largely made of steel produced using renewable energy. Baltic Power will cover 3 per cent of Poland’s energy needs, thereby reducing national CO2 emissions by approximately 2.8 million tonnes per year.
Source: PortalMorski.pl
