ORLEN Neptun, part of the ORLEN Group, has launched an offshore wind farm installation terminal in Swinoujscie, the first facility of its kind in Poland and one of the most advanced in Europe. It will serve as a key base for the Group’s phase two offshore wind projects and will also be available to external operators. ORLEN Neptun has signed its first long-term contract with Ocean Winds, a Spanish-French consortium that ranks among the world’s leading offshore wind developers. The Swinoujscie terminal will ultimately support the installation of several dozen wind turbines per year, becoming the most important offshore wind installation hub in the Baltic Sea region.
'The installation terminal in Swinoujscie is yet another pioneering offshore wind investment we’re delivering in Poland. We’re not just building infrastructure — we’re laying the foundations for an entirely new, future-ready sector of the economy. Offshore wind power will supply homes, businesses and transport with clean, reliable energy, while also opening the door to new areas of industrial growth. Swinoujscie will be our base for executing future offshore wind projects, in which Polish capital will play a major role with close to 50% participation. We’ve already signed a long-term contract with one of the global offshore leaders, Ocean Winds, and secured agreements that will allow us to utilise existing infrastructure for storing turbine components. Our investment represents a major development opportunity for the entire region and for Polish businesses serving the offshore wind sector,' says Ireneusz Fafara, CEO and President of the Management Board of ORLEN.
The Swinoujscie terminal, to be ultimately manned by several dozen staff, has been designed to accommodate the largest vessels – including jack-up and heavy-lift ships – used for installing offshore wind turbines with a capacity of around 15 MW. The terminal supports the unloading, stacking and ship loading of components used in the construction of wind farms, including monopile foundations, towers, blades, nacelles and farm cabling elements. Additionally, the terminal infrastructure enables the reception of offshore substation topsides weighing up to 24 thousand tonnes.
The terminal’s location in Swinoujscie provides excellent access via rail, ferry, air and road. Furthermore, the inland location ensures favourable weather conditions for year-round operations. The facility will primarily support the installation of components for the ORLEN Group’s offshore wind projects – Baltic East and future developments. The terminal will also be commercially available to other operators executing projects in German, Swedish or Danish waters.
'The advanced specifications of our terminal make it especially attractive to European offshore wind operators. In the coming years, it’s bound to be one of the region’s few installation ports capable of supporting projects that use next-generation turbines with around 15 MW of capacity. Interest in our facility is already strong – we’re opening the terminal and, at the same time, signing our first long-term lease contract with one of the world’s largest offshore wind developers,' says Janusz Bil, President of the Management Board of ORLEN Neptun.
Under the contract with Ocean Winds, ORLEN Neptun will lease nearly the entire terminal area. It will be used to support the construction of the BC-Wind offshore wind farm, located approximately 150 nautical miles (about 228 kilometres) from the port in Swinoujscie.
The terminal will be used for the delivery, storage and initial preparation of foundations, which will then be transported to the installation site. Swinoujscie will also serve as the loading point for components onto specialised installation vessels. Cargo handling and port services will be provided by local contractors with international experience.
'We’re pleased to have established this partnership and to have selected the port in Swinoujscie as a key hub for delivering the BC-Wind offshore wind farm. It is a state-of-the-art facility that fully meets both our technical requirements and project timelines. BC-Wind is Ocean Winds’ first project in the Baltic Sea and a strong example of real engagement with the local supply chain. We’re committed to creating value together with our Polish partners and to strengthening the local market’s capabilities in offshore wind energy,' says Kacper Kostrzewa, Managing Director of Ocean Winds Poland.
The launch of the installation terminal in Swinoujscie is aligned with the ORLEN2035 strategy targeting fast expansion of the renewable energy segment. Over the next decade, the ORLEN Group aims to achieve 12.8 GW of installed capacity in renewable energy sources, including approximately 6.4 GW in offshore wind farms.
Source: ORLEN
