The Maritime Office in Gdynia and the Centre for EU Transport Projects have signed an agreement guaranteeing support of PLN 190 million. for the implementation of tasks related to the construction of the offshore service terminal in Łeba. The funds come from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
– Cost-effective electricity will flow from Łeba. We have signed an agreement with KPO for the implementation of a strategic investment for national energy security. PLN 190 million in funding will be received for the construction of a service terminal in Łeba. This is one of three terminals that will build and service Polish wind power plants on the Baltic Sea, which will give Poles in Pomerania and all of Poland cheap, safe and clean electricity – said Jan Szyszko, Deputy Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy, during a press briefing at the Port of Łeba.
As part of this investment, the Maritime Office in Gdynia will rebuild the entrance to the Port of Łeba and renovate the Maltese quay.
Participants in the press briefing at the Maltese wharf
– The scope of our works will include two tasks, the implementation of which is a priority for the operation of wind farm operators in the port of Łeba. This is a step towards their needs, first and foremost to eliminate excessive wave action at the entrance and inside the harbour, as well as sandbagging at the harbour entrance. Current conditions make navigation in this area periodically difficult. The work that will be carried out with the funds guaranteed today will eliminate these adverse phenomena. They will significantly increase safety, make it easier for all users and improve the comfort of operations – said Barbara Olczyk, Deputy Director of the Maritime Office in Gdynia for Investment Affairs.
The reconstruction of the Łeba Port entrance will include the construction of a new eastern island breakwater, approximately 262 metres long, a western breakwater approximately 91 metres long and a groyne over 200 metres long on the western side. New settling ponds, a 40-metre-wide approach track and a 160-metre diameter turning circle will also be built.
– We are pleased that Pomerania is welcoming such significant investments and that we are able to absorb funds for their implementation. Some of it will feed into our regional business, because water construction is something we know how to do. This investment is not just about the service port itself. It is also a source of several thousand jobs throughout Pomerania, related to the energy sector, the training of specialists and the implementation of projects and maintenance of offshore wind farms – emphasised Emil Rojek, Deputy Governor of Pomerania.
The renovation of the Maltese quay and jetty, with a total length of about 140 m, will involve replacing a sheet pile wall that is too short with a new one, anchored with ground anchors. The work will involve reconstructing the cap and restoring the proper bearing capacity of the jetty.
The port of Łeba is becoming a service and operations base for the offshore wind energy sector. Transport of service personnel to offshore wind farms will take place here throughout the year, by CTV or SES vessels, which will have about 10 berths available.
– For the inhabitants of our town, the last few months have been exceptional. Łeba is no longer just about tourism and fishing, now it is also about wind energy. We are becoming a very important point on the map of Poland in terms of the development of offshore wind farms. This is an incredible opportunity for development and additional jobs. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the fact that these funds are in Łeba, that this investment will be realised. Together we will observe how our small tourist town develops also in this other economic branch – said Agnieszka Derba, the Mayor of Łeba.
It is worth emphasising that as part of the investment of the Maritime Office in Gdynia, a conceptual design for the second stage of the reconstruction of the Łeba harbour entrance will also be created at the stage of spending the funds allocated today. It will include, among other things, the design of an external port with an eastern breakwater extended and connected to the land, together with the necessary infrastructure and equipment.
Source: Maritime Office in Gdynia
