Equinor has completed the acquisition of a 50% interest in the Polish offshore wind project Bałtyk 1 from Polenergia.
The Bałtyk 1 offshore location license allows for a development of a wind farm with a capacity up to 1560MW. Equinor will own up to 780MW.
The Norwegian developer will manage the construction preparation and the potential construction and operational phases.
Equinor business development in new energy solutions Jens Okland (pictured) said: “The acquisition of Baltyk 1 strengthens our presence in the Baltic Sea area.
“With interest in all three, Baltyk 1, 2 and 3 projects, we have the opportunity to build scale and value in what we see as an important energy region.”
Equinor acquired a 50% interest in Bałtyk 2 and 3, which have a combined planned capacity of 1440MW, in 2018.
Baltyk 1 will be built in water depths of 25-35m, approximately 80km from the port of Łeba.
“Poland is an important market for Equinor and we are pleased to continue our partnership with Polenergia, which is an experienced energy company with an in-depth knowledge of the Polish energy market,” Okland added.
Equinor and Polenergia have a 50/50 joint venture and are working together to mature the Baltyk projects towards construction.
Equinor said it welcomes the recent progress in the development of a legal framework for offshore wind in Poland.
“Clearly defined targets for offshore wind, a robust and predictable framework that sets the right incentives and a streamlined permitting process will be key success factors to develop the offshore wind sector in Poland and to realize the Polish supply chain potential,” stated the developer.