The Regional Director of Environmental Protection in Gdansk has issued a decision on the environmental conditions for the connection infrastructure of the Baltica Offshore Wind Farm, Baltica 2 and Baltica 3 in the Polish Baltic Sea, to be implemented in two stages.
This allows the project’s investors, PGE and Ørsted, to continue the project and start working on the building permits.
”The environmental decision concludes an important, multi-month stage of work in preparation for the construction of an offshore wind farm and its connection infrastructure. We have met the necessary condition for the investment process to continue and are now ready to prepare the technical documentation necessary to obtain the building permits,” said Wojciech Dąbrowski , President of the Management Board of PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna.
”The environmental decision for the Baltica 2 and 3 Offshore Wind Farm connection infrastructure confirms to us that the environmental surveys has been carried out accurately and the resulting environmental report has been properly prepared.”
A detailed study of the natural environment was carried out prior to obtaining the environmental decision, the developers said, adding that obtaining the environmental decision for the Baltica 2+3 Offshore Wind Farm connection infrastructure is a major step towards the final investment decision. ]
The Baltica 2+3 Offshore Wind Farm has already obtained the environmental decision for the offshore wind farm in January 2020. In addition, the project has obtained the location decisions (PSC) and the connection agreements to the transmission network with the operator (PSE), and has been granted the right to a differential contract (CfD).
”With the environmental decision for the connection infrastructure, we have submitted water permit applications and we are going to apply for location decisions that are part of the preparation for building permits. These are the last administrative requirements that will allow the Baltica 2+3 project to mature towards taking a final investment decision and then move from planning to investment execution,” said Søren Westergaard Jensen , Project Director for Project Baltica 2+3 at Ørsted.
”Contributing to the goals of transforming and strengthening energy security of Poland, we are delighted to be able to implement the investment in the Baltica Offshore Wind Farm in accordance with the highest environmental standards.”
The export cables will make landfall at the Choczewo municipality and connect to two onshore substations located near Osieki Lęborskie.
According to the project’s first phase schedule, the 1,045.5 MW Baltica 3 is expected to deliver its first power in 2026. The 1,497 MW Baltica 2 is expected to start production in 2027.