PGE Teams Up with Academia for Polish Offshore Wind

On 18 May, PGE has sign Letters of Intent on cooperation in offshore wind with the Maritime University of Gdynia, Gdańsk University of Technology, Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Gdańsk, and the Technical University of Denmark.

With the Maritime University of Gdynia, PGE will to cooperate on developing offshore wind energy in Poland, including establishing an Offshore Centre under the patronage of the Polish Minister of Education and Science, which will focus on knowledge and skills necessary to support the growing Polish offshore wind economy.

As part of the cooperation, PGE will support the Maritime University of Gdynia in creating a laboratory base for the Offshore Center, which will serve for joint research in the development of the Polish offshore wind energy sector. PGE and the University will also work on the implementation of hydrological, hydrometeorological, hydrochemical, geomorphological analyses, as well as research in the field of navigation, safety and rescue in maritime transport. 

Through the cooperation, the University will also provide PGE with research support in planning activities to minimise the impact on the environment during the construction of PGE’s offshore wind farms. The cooperation also includes the exchange of experiences in staff training for offshore wind farm operations, and the extension and improvement of the University’s curriculum.

In addition to the signed Letter of Intent with PGE, the Maritime University of Gdynia intends to open an inter-university field of study in offshore wind energy in the near future together with the Gdańsk University of Technology.

With the Gdańsk University of Technology, Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery, and the Technical University of Denmark, the cooperation will include joint research and educational activities in the field of offshore energy.

The Letter of Intent is the first step towards strengthening research and educational cooperation between the Polish research institutions and the Technical University of Denmark. The cooperation will also see the launch of specialisation studies at the Gdańsk University of Technology from February 2022, as well as the intensification of the exchange of research workers and students between research institutions. The cooperation will also cover joint activities of particular importance in research and development.

PGE is set to build two offshore wind projects in Poland by 2030, together with Ørsted, totalling 2.5 GW in installed capacity. After 2030, the company plans to build at least 1 GW of additional offshore wind capacity.

The two offshore wind farms, Baltica 2 and Batica 3, have been awarded Contracts for Difference (CfDs) by the Polish Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) this April.

Subject to Ørsted’s and PGE’s final investment decisions, the 1 GW Baltica 3 could become operational in 2026, while the 1.5 GW Baltica 2 could become operational before 2030.