PKN ORLEN Starts Onshore Export Cable Route Surveys

Polish energy company PKN ORLEN has started onshore geological surveys along the connection route for its offshore wind farm project in the Baltic Sea.

PKN Orlen, through its subsidiary Baltic Power, holds a license to build wind farms in the Polish Baltic Sea with a maximum total capacity of up to 1,200 MW.

The proposed area covers approximately 131 km2 and is located some 22 kilometres off Choczewo and Łeba.

The onshore surveys will help delineate an underground export cable route to deliver the electricity generated at the offshore farm to an onshore substation.

The measurements will be performed in the municipality of Choczewo, where the transmission infrastructure will be built, PKN ORLEN said.

The first phase of the work will involve geophysical surveys performed using the electrical resistance tomography (ERT) process. The findings will inform a preliminary appraisal of the ground conditions.

During the next phase, specialist equipment will be used to drill holes up to a depth of several dozen metres, from which samples will be taken for geotechnical analysis. In parallel, geophysical surveys will be carried out in the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea.

”The wind farm construction in the Baltic Sea is one of key projects bringing us closer to our strategic goal of climate neutrality,” said Daniel Obajtek, President of the PKN ORLEN Management Board.

”Despite the epidemic crisis, we are keeping up the pace and are progressing on schedule. By 2030, we will have invested more than PLN 25bn in projects designed to mitigate our environmental impacts, opening us up to new business models. By investing in green energy, we are also building Orlen’s position as the leader of energy transition in Central Europe.”

PKN ORLEN has contracted ENPROM to work on preparing the wind farm’s cable connection. ENPROM is responsible for the design and building permit application for the necessary infrastructure.

The contract covers preparation of the connection route both along the offshore section and the onshore section.

As part of the preparatory work, PKN ORLEN performed preliminary measurements of the seabed and environmental surveys of the wind farm area.

On their basis, the company has already submitted an environmental report and is currently awaiting an environmental decision for the offshore part of the project. The document will be the basis for initiating a building application procedure.

Additional surveys and necessary wind measurements to be used by the wind farm’s designer are also being carried out in the Baltic Sea.

Documents prepared with the designer’s participation will include analyses of the turbine layout and assumptions related to the estimated capacity factor. They will also inform a more accurate cost estimate and timetable for the project.

PKN Orlen plans to start constructing the wind farm in 2024.