RWE and the Ustka Port Authority have signed a land lease agreement for the construction of an operations and maintenance base for the FEW Baltic 2 offshore wind farm.
The base is one of the key elements in the realisation and subsequent operation of the planned wind farm, and will have a service life of at least 30 years, RWE said.
Lukas Prietz, project director of the FEW Baltic 2 wind farm, said: “Securing the land for the operation and maintenance base is another important step in the realisation of our first wind farm off Poland’s Baltic coast.
“The administration and control building will meet the international sustainability certification standard BREEAM, and will be constructed at the port after 2025.
“We plan to use the service base for the monitoring and day-to-day operation of our FEW Baltic 2 offshore wind farm.
“By establishing the base at the Port of Ustka, RWE will be able to create up to 50 new jobs for the local community.”
Maciej Karaś, president of the Ustka Seaport Authority, added: “The signing of the agreement with RWE is an important milestone in our long-standing cooperation, which began in 2018.
“At that time, the concept of offshore wind farms in Poland was still in its infancy – and suddenly, we became leaders in this nascent industry.
“I am all the more pleased that our long-term efforts are bearing fruit, confirming that the strategy chosen by the town of Ustka, and which I have implemented, was the right one.
“From my point of view, it is equally important to be able to work with a partner with such great competence and experience in the offshore wind industry.”
RWE will locate the operations and maintenance facilities for the FEW Baltic 2 project at the Western Quay at the port in Ustka.
The main rationale for choosing Ustka is its extensive port infrastructure, the possibility of crew transfer vessel repair and refuelling vessels for regular operations and social facilities for employees.
Another key factor in the choice of this site was the distance from the port to the FEW Baltic II wind farm.
This 350MW project by RWE is located some 50km offshore in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea, north of the town of Ustka, and covers an area of approx. 41 km².
Implementation of the project is on schedule with commercial operation expected by the end of this decade.
The FEW Baltic 2 wind farm is at an advanced stage of preparation, pending further decisions and administrative approvals.