RWE Renewables has acquired a pipeline of up to 4 offshore wind projects in Poland with a total generation capacity of more than 1.5 gigawatts.
The company has acquired the shares in the project companies from private owners and developers. RWE intends to further develop, build, and operate the projects.
The four projects, which are in different development stages, are all located around the Slupsk bank area in the central Polish Baltic Sea. Over the next years, development activities will continue, and the construction phase might start as early as 2023.
Following a recent asset swap with E.ON, RWE Renewables, the newest subsidiary of RWE, now has more than 9 gigawatts of installed capacity and 2.6 gigawatts under construction. With a total installed offshore wind capacity of 2.5 gigawatts, RWE Renewables ranks number two globally.
“Poland is a very attractive emerging market for offshore wind, and one with the best untapped potential in Europe. RWE is keen to enter it early and leverage our global offshore capabilities and strong local presence, in order to help building a strong Offshore Wind sector in Poland,” said Sven Utermöhlen , COO Europe, Offshore & New Markets RWE Renewables.
In total, 13 wind farm projects are under consideration in Poland’s Baltic Sea territory with an ambition to generate 25% of Poland’s energy by offshore wind by 2040. The plan currently being debated is for 4.6GW to be installed by 2030, scaling up to 6GW by 2035 and 10GW by 2040.