Poland’s first Baltic offshore wind farms are already producing test electricity, but the multi-billion-złoty pipeline faces supplier bottlenecks, permit delays, disinformation and a surprising rescue gap. Energy Days panellists said the sector wants predictability and quality more than a rapid race for new gigawatts.
The panel Offshore: second phase and local content heard that launching many projects at once could create market bottlenecks among suppliers and contractors, raising total costs and the final price of offshore electricity. Investors also warned domestic suppliers that local content brings huge legal and financial responsibility, so firms must calculate their strength and secure contracts carefully.
From 500 MW to nearly 6 GW
Jakub Budzyński, president of the Polish Chamber of Maritime Wind Energy, recalled that a decade ago the state target was only 500 MW and turbines were five times smaller. The offshore act triggered a wave of projects, and Poland now has nearly 6 GW of new offshore capacity in motion. It means jobs at the farms and orders for domestic industry, some placed before local content became a popular slogan. Contracting years ahead is hard in a sector partly new to Polish industry, and some companies are only gaining experience on Polish projects.
Kacper Kostrzewa, managing director of Ocean Winds in Poland, said contracts follow months of analysis. He cited the Crist shipyard in Gdynia, which designs and builds offshore electrical stations. Ocean Winds ordered one station for its BC Wind farm, moving the yard into so-called Tier 1, the top supplier level working directly with the investor.
– We talked with Crist in Gdynia for a good two years before we signed the contract. This was to ensure we understood each other’s capabilities and expectations and knew what the cooperation would ultimately involve – said Kacper Kostrzewa.
He added that reaching a 45 per cent share for Polish industry in the second phase will require maturity on both sides, so unprepared companies do not collapse under signed agreements.
Contracts, cash and a 2027 auction
Maciej Stryjecki, head of offshore wind at Orlen SA and president of Baltic Power, warned against hyper-optimism before the second phase, when many firms may try to become consortium members rather than subcontractors.
– Before the second phase, there must be no hyper-optimism that all companies will sign contracts, trying to become consortium members and take co-responsibility – said Maciej Stryjecki.
He also pointed to market risks from the state schedule. Parallel launches of several offshore wind projects can create bottlenecks for investors, both among contractors and suppliers, and push up their price. New support instruments are meant to answer those financial and delivery risks. Jakub Budzyński announced that PIMEW will work with a banking-sector partner to develop debt financing and bank guarantees for small and medium-sized firms interested in offshore wind. The Industrial Development Agency has already launched a state programme.
Bartosz Fedurek, president of PGE Baltica, argued that smart planning of works, auctions and orders matters more than headline gigawatts, with quality key and speed secondary.
Administrative procedures remain a burden. Kacper Kostrzewa mentioned longer permit acquisition times caused by staffing shortages in state offices. Ewa Makowska, head of the offshore wind department at the Ministry of Climate and Environment, said the ministry stays in contact with the market and tries to close regulatory gaps as quickly as multi-ministry arrangements allow. Offshore wind involves several ministries, from climate and environment, through energy and state assets, to infrastructure, making a single voice difficult. Makowska confirmed work on an amendment to the offshore wind act introducing non-price criteria and plans for the next support auction in the second half of 2027. The draft is ready and awaits entry into the Council of Ministers’ work list, after talks with the industry.
Janusz Gajowiecki, president of the Polish Wind Energy Association, said the sector faces disinformation and artificial distortion of costs on a huge scale, and called for education campaigns similar to past government efforts on nuclear energy. He cited research showing nearly half of Poles wrongly believe the energy transition and renewables raise electricity bills. PGE Baltica’s Fedurek said adding 6 GW from the first phase should cut wholesale power prices by about 50 zł per MWh, generating 8-10 billion zł in annual savings for the economy and avoiding the burning of about 4 billion cubic metres of natural gas.
– We deal every day with a situation bearing the hallmarks of hybrid war. The scale of disinformation and artificial distortion of costs related to offshore wind is enormous – said Janusz Gajowiecki.
A 46-metre helicopter for 250-metre turbines
The operational phase brings its own paradox. Maciej Stryjecki noted that billion-złoty projects have been built in a country without a suitable helicopter for them. The only helicopter currently available for state rescue operations on the Baltic can hover at a maximum altitude of just 46 metres, while turbines reach 250 metres. In extreme cases, that drastically extends the time needed to evacuate injured workers.
– The only helicopter available today for state rescue operations on the Baltic can hover at a maximum altitude of only 46 meters. I remind you that turbines reach 250 meters, which in extreme cases drastically extends the time needed to evacuate the injured – said Maciej Stryjecki.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. PTWP
