Baltic Power has announced plans to implement a temporary compensation scheme for fishermen fishing in the area where the first Polish offshore wind farm is planned. The squares in question are O7, O8, N7, N8, approximately 23 km from the shore. The solution is transitional and will remain in force until a ministerial decree regulating the compensation system between the offshore wind and fishing sectors is introduced.
On 23-24 September, Baltic Power representatives held information meetings with fishermen in Łeba, Ustka and Władysławowo, where the details of the transitional compensation system were discussed. The investor has proposed a solution that compensates the loss of income for fishermen who fished in the area of Baltic Power’s farm and connection infrastructure between 2018 and 2023.
– We understand fishermen’s concerns about the impact of the farm’s construction on their business. Although our farm is not located in an area of valuable fishing grounds we become co-users of the sea. Ministerial regulations on compensation are still being worked on and, as we are the first to start construction at sea, we are implementing our own transitional system to provide support with the start of construction of Baltic Power. We are introducing a compensation scheme based on catch data and in line with the expectations of the environment, among others, covering the period before the cod ban. The amount of payments will also depend on the size of the vessel – points out Krzysztof Bukowski, Communications and Environmental Relations Manager at Baltic Power.
The transitional compensation scheme covers owners of fishing vessels that operated in the area of the farm or on the routes of the connection infrastructure between 2018 and 2023. It also applies to recreational fishermen who used these areas before the cod fishing ban. The compensation scheme applies to vessels whose owners have carried out fishing activities in squares: N7, N8, O8, O9.
At the same time, Baltic Power announced its further involvement in the work on the final shape of the compensation scheme, which is being carried out from 2021 as part of the work of the fishing group at Sector Deal. The dialogue there covers much broader issues including, among others, the cumulative impact of farms on the fishing sector. As announced, with the publication of relevant regulation governing cooperation and compensation payments between the fisheries sector and investors in offshore wind farms, the company will complete its transition programme and comply with official regulations.
The Baltic Power offshore wind farm, a joint venture between ORLEN Group and Northland Power, is the most advanced offshore wind project in Poland and the only one in the construction phase. The preparation phase was completed in September 2023, with full financing from 25 international financial institutions. Construction of its onshore infrastructure has been underway since 2023, and the company will begin offshore installation work at the beginning of 2025.
Baltic Power will be one of the first farms in the world to install 15 MW wind turbines and the first in the world to have a significant proportion of its turbine towers made of low-carbon steel. With completion in 2026, Baltic Power will be the first Polish offshore wind farm operating in the Baltic Sea, covering 3% of the country’s energy needs while reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 2.8 million tonnes per year.
Source: Baltic Power
