PGE Baltica has launched environmental surveys for its proposed 900MW Baltica 1 offshore wind project in the Polish Baltic Sea.
The work will be carried out by a consortium of Gdynia Maritime University and MEWO S.A., which specialise in subsea surveys.
The consortium will also be responsible for obtaining an environmental permit for the project from the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Gdansk.
PGE Baltica, a subsidiary of Polish utility PGE Group, aims to build the wind farm 80km off the Baltic coastline in the Central Shoal area with first power expected after 2030.
It will be located north of the 2.5GW duo Baltica 2 and Baltica 3, which PGE is already developing in joint venture with Orsted.
Baltica 2 and Baltica 3 are due online between 2026 and 2027.
Wojciech Dąbrowski, President of the Management Board of PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna, said: „The first electricity from the Baltica 1 offshore wind farm will flow at the beginning of next decade. Before this happens, however, we will conduct a series of detailed surveys and analytical studies that will allow us to properly prepare the project and obtain the necessary administrative decisions.
“Earlier, in May this year, we started a two-year wind measurement campaign for the Baltica 1 project, and now we are starting environmental surveys.”
Dariusz Lociński, President of the Management Board of PGE Baltica, added: “One of the key stages in the design of any offshore wind farm is environmental survey. They allow for accurate identifiying the natural resources of the sea – not only in terms of geology and water, but also in terms of organisms present in the studied area – plants, animals living on the seabed, fish, birds and mammals, including bats.
“All this is done when designing the construction in order to minimize the impact on the natural environment during construction and subsequent long-term operation of a wind farm. Importantly, in addition to the offshore wind farm area, the surveys will also cover the area of sea and land where the offshore wind farm connection infrastructure will be built.”