The BC-Wind project is an offshore wind farm with a capacity of up to 500 MW that will be located approximately 23 km north of the coast, near the Krokowa and Choczewo communities. We are asking the investor about the work and decisions to be taken on the ports for the installation and maintenance of the wind farm. “We are currently analysing and discussing the selection of a suitable installation port in the Baltic Sea for the BC-Wind project,” said Aleksandra Jampolska, Senior Stakeholder Manager at Ocean Winds.
The BC-Wind offshore wind farm is in the so-called development phase, preparing the investment for a construction permit. The project has already been granted the right to receive financing under Phase I of the Polish Offshore Wind Farm Development Programme on a Contract for Difference basis. A grid connection agreement was signed in March 2021 and an environmental decision for the offshore part was obtained in 2022.
O&M base in Władysławowo
A representative of the investor reports that since the signing of the first lease agreement for the port of Władysławowo in 2022, Ocean Winds has made significant progress on the service base project.
“We are currently finalising the architectural and functional-utility concept for the base, which is being carried out by Antea Polska S.A. We are also focusing on finalising all the necessary administrative decisions,” says Jampolska.
In 2024, Ocean Winds plans to complete the project and obtain a building permit, which will allow the investor to start construction in 2025.
“The Port of Wladyslawowo has relatively low investment requirements to become fully operational as a service or installation port for offshore wind farm projects in the Baltic Sea. It is well connected, with easy access to a railway line and access roads from all over the country. The port’s infrastructure and location are strong assets that make it the optimal choice for our service base.
“We would also like to emphasise that the Port of Władysławowo will not only serve as a service base for our project, but also as a base for other companies in the offshore wind farm supply chain. Despite this, the port was not included in the National Recovery Plan for the construction of port terminals for offshore wind energy, which surprised us. However, we are determined to carry out our plans according to the approved schedule and thus support the development of the offshore wind energy sector in Poland as well as the local economy and community,” Jampolska emphasises.
Installation terminal for BC-Wind
According to Jampolska, the investor is currently analysing and discussing the selection of a suitable installation port in the Baltic Sea for the BC-Wind project.
“At the moment we have not formally booked a specific port. Ocean Winds’ priority is to find a port that meets all the technical and logistical requirements for the installation of the offshore wind farm in Phase I,” she explains.
“We plan to complete the selection process in 2024. The sites under consideration include ports that have the right infrastructure, operational capacity and strategic location.”
Progress in the development of the BC Wind project
An investor representative reports that the BC-Wind offshore wind project is currently at an advanced stage of development.
“In March this year, we completed two campaigns: an offshore seabed geophysical survey at the farm site and a nearshore geophysical survey lasting several months. This is an important milestone in the development of the BC-Wind OWF project. In 2024, we also completed the geological surveys along the route of the onshore cable to the substation in the municipality of Choczewo,” she lists.
Key tasks for this year include finalising negotiations with component suppliers, finalising tenders and contracts with consultants, and making the final investment decision (FID).
