Progress in the production of offshore infrastructure elements for the Baltic 2 and 3 wind farms
Key moments have been reached in the production of components for the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms, implemented by Equinor and the Polenergia Group. At the plants of the supplier – Smulders – the first transition pieces were placed in an upright position, the installation of the support structure of the jacket type for the platform of the offshore power station was completed and its main part (topside) was prepared for further equipment. The Polish branch – Smulders Projects Poland – supplies auxiliary steel, increasing the national contribution to the project. Installation of the components at sea will begin in the spring of 2026.
The first vertical positioning of transition pieces (TP) is a key stage in production, allowing you to verify geometry, precision and quality of workmanship. A total of 100 sets of TPs will be built, which, after being equipped with secondary steel, will be transported to the installation port, where they will wait for further transport and assembly at sea. Steel auxiliary elements are manufactured and supplied by the Polish Smulders plants in Żary, Niemodlin and Łęknica, which significantly increases the national contribution to the project.
Initial production has also been completed and the main part (the so-called topside) of one of the two offshore power stations has been prepared for further equipment. Its weight exceeds 3500 tons. At the same time, the production and assembly of the jacket support structure on which the platform will be mounted was completed. The structure itself weighs almost 3500 tons and has impressive dimensions: over 40 meters long and wide, and over 50 meters high.
After combining both elements – the superstructure and the supporting structure – a structure with a height of nearly 100 meters and sides over 40 meters wide will be created. The total weight exceeds 7000 tons, which corresponds to the weight of 280 fully loaded trucks, which, lined up one after the other, would take up more than 4 kilometers of road.
Smulders plants in Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom were involved in the production of these elements, which carried out work in parallel. A significant part of the superstructure components was made in Poland.
Smulders is responsible for the design and construction of two complete offshore substations – both superstructures and supporting structures. In a consortium with Sif, it manufactures all transitional elements for the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms. The Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms, developed jointly by Equinor and Polenergia, will have a total capacity of 1440 MW. This will allow to supply green energy to over 2 million households in Poland and will significantly support the national energy transition. The first electricity from the farms will flow in 2027, and their commercial operation will begin in 2028.
