Renewable energy giant RWE has selected Atlantique Offshore Energy, the marine energy business unit of the French company Chantiers de l’Atlantique, for the delivery of the electrical offshore substation for the F.E.W. Baltic II, offshore wind project in the Polish Baltic Sea.
Once fully operational, the 350 megawatts (MW) wind farm will be capable of producing enough electricity to supply the equivalent needs of around 350,000 Polish households.
The substation will collect and export the power generated by the offshore wind turbines through high voltage submarine cables, while remotely controlling and monitoring the operation of the wind farm.
Design activities have already started, with early permitting activities expected this year and the full installation of the substation scheduled for 2025.
After the delivery of the Arkona offshore substation in 2018, this is the second time that Chantiers de l’Atlantique and RWE collaborated on an offshore wind project.
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO Offshore Wind at RWE Renewables: “With selecting Chantiers de l’Atlantique, we have passed the next milestone on the way to realizing our first Polish offshore wind farm. Poland is one of the most attractive, emerging offshore markets in Europe. With our F.E.W. Baltic II project, we will contribute significantly to Poland’s green energy transition and accelerate the development of the local supply chain.”
Chantiers de l’Atlantique said it would rely upon a wide range of Polish companies for engineering and supply of equipment and services. This cooperation will allow the French and Polish offshore wind value chain to gather momentum and play an important role in the installation of the substation in Polish waters.
In 2021, RWE received the environmental permit for the F.E.W. Baltic II offshore project. It was the first Environmental Impact Assessment for a Polish offshore wind project, which has been assessed under a cross-border procedure (ESPOO convention), with the participation of Danish and Swedish stakeholders. Also last year, the Polish Energy Regulatory Office awarded a Contract for Difference (CfD) to the project, which confirms that RWE’s project has been selected for the first phase of Poland’s ambitious offshore wind build-out program. The CfD award is subject to final approval from the European Commission, which is expected in 2022.