Poland has ambitions to develop about 18 GW in offshore wind energy and is currently advancing the phase I projects with the phase II projects approaching fast. International engineering and contracting company Semco Maritime has strengthened its presence and wants to support Poland’s ambitions in the field of energy transition by offering its global experience in the energy industry. “In cooperation with our partners, we have successfully completed the design and construction of more than 20 offshore substations, making us a leader in EPCI solutions and services for the offshore wind energy industry,” says Maciej Grzybowski, Head of Semco Maritime in Poland.
Experience in the energy industry
The Semco Maritime team has been active in the energy industry for more than 40 years and gained expertise as a multi-disciplinary engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the offshore oil and gas industry.
“For decades, we have ensured smooth operations of oil and gas assets in the North Sea to achieve maximum availability and support economies around the world,” says Maciej Grzybowski, Head of Semco Maritime in Poland.
The company is also involved in global energy transition projects including offshore wind farm projects.
“We believe that a fossil-free future requires a sustainable energy transition with conventional and emission-free energy sources coexisting effectively until the day when renewable energy sources are able to meet global demand on their own,” points out Szymon Czekoński, Senior Electrical Engineer, High Voltage.
He adds that based on the experience of the offshore oil and gas industry, the company started operating in the field of renewable energy sources more than 20 years ago with a particular focus on the offshore wind energy industry.
“Since then, we have successfully completed the design and construction of more than 20 offshore substations in cooperation with partners, making us a leader in EPCI solutions and services for the offshore wind industry. The renewable energy division accounted for 48% of the our 2023 revenue and is gradually increasing year by year,” points out the representative of Semco Maritime.
Specialization: Offshore substations
Semco Maritime plays a key role in the development and construction of offshore wind farms around the world, focusing on the design, construction and maintenance of offshore substations. These stations play a crucial role collecting the electricity produced from wind turbines scattered over dozens or even more than 100 square kilometers and enabling the transmission of this energy to the onshore power grid of the local operator with the lowest possible losses.
“We are currently running several turnkey projects in parallel and will deliver 12 offshore substations to be located in Europe, Asia and North America,” says Szymon Czekoński
Poland is a key market in Central and Eastern Europe
Semco Maritime’s presence in Poland is an important element of its strategy, which assumes expansion in Central and Eastern Europe and the development of the renewable energy sector. Grzybowski emphasizes that offshore wind energy is a strategic direction of energy transformation that strengthens energy security and provides an impulse for Polish’s economic development. One of the key elements in the Polish Energy Policy until 2040 is the assumption that the installed capacity in offshore wind energy will reach 5.9 GW in 2030.
The strategic decision to open an office in Poland was announced in July 2021. The first employees joined Semco Maritime in Gdynia as early as November 2021. Today, the team consists of over 60 people making up a significant share of the company’s renewable energy sources division. A team of Semco Maritime engineers moved into the K2 building in Gdynia in July this year, taking up over 1,200 m2 of office space.
“Polish engineers have the opportunity to work in this industry together with their colleagues from Denmark and other regions of the world on projects located in the United States, Taiwan, the European Union, including Poland. Semco Maritime, together with its partners, is currently supplying 6 offshore substations in the Polish sea in the EPC formula for two projects with an installed capacity of 1.2 GW (Baltic Power Offshore Wind Farm) and 1.5 GW (Baltica 2 Offshore Wind Farm), respectively, representing a total of 46% of the capacity for the so-called offshore wind power projects. This is a significant contribution to Polish’s energy transition and helps achieving the goals set out in the Polish Energy Policy until 2040,” says Czekoński.
In 2023, Polish PGE Group and Danish investor Ørsted signed an agreement with a consortium comprised of Semco Maritime and PTSC Mechanical & Construction for the design, manufacture and commissioning of offshore substations for the Baltica 2 offshore wind farm project. Four stations – each equipped with two transformers – will collect electricity generated by wind turbines and export it to shore.
Semco Maritime engages Polish companies
A number of maritime projects implemented by Semco Maritime together with its partners have been built with the participation of Polish companies. A large part of the steel structures for the marine stations, which were later equipped in shipyards in Denmark with all the necessary systems, were manufactured by Polish local companies in Gdynia and Szczecin.
Currently, Semco Maritime is also involved in educational projects to provide employees with unique knowledge necessary to implement offshore wind projects.
“We believe that cooperation is built from scratch, which is why we are actively involved in training students and employees of the offshore wind energy sector in Poland. Our representatives conduct training at the Gdynia Maritime University and also lecture on the Executive Offshore Wind MBA of which we are a partner. We also provide students with the opportunity to visit our headquarters in Esbjerg, Denmark and meet our staff to exchange views and experiences. In our opinion, this is a great way to get to know each other and better understand future business partners,” says Maciej Grzybowski.
Semco Maritime’s experience and commitment to the development of offshore wind energy make the company a key player in the global renewable energy market. The company’s presence in Poland and its numerous projects in the Baltic Sea contribute to the development of local energy infrastructure and support the energy transition in the region. With its expertise, technological innovation and commitment to sustainability, Semco Maritime remains one of the leading players in the offshore wind energy sector.
This article was created in cooperation with Semco Maritime.
