Poland’s Industrial Development Agency (ARP S.A.) and the TFK Group have signed letters of intent with PGE Baltica and ORLEN Neptun, the two state-controlled developers leading the country’s Baltic offshore wind projects. The agreements set out a framework for cooperation in the installation and servicing of submarine cables using a dedicated Cable Laying Vessel (CLV) — a vessel that ARP and TFK are now in advanced preparatory stages of building.
Access to CLVs has become one of the key supply chain constraints for offshore wind development across the Baltic. ORLEN Neptun is advancing two projects — Baltic East and Baltic West — while PGE Baltica is developing a portfolio of its own. “Schedules for offshore wind projects are already tight,” said Janusz Bil, CEO of ORLEN Neptun. “It is essential that we can maintain the pace of delivery and meet the growing demands of the market. For ORLEN Neptun, having a domestically-built vessel is crucial.”
The initiative was originally conceived by Wojciech Balczun, now Poland’s Minister of State Assets, during his tenure as president of ARP S.A. The signing ceremony was attended by representatives of public administration, the energy sector, and local authorities. “This partnership ensures synergy of experience and allows us to build new industrial capabilities,” Balczun said, framing the CLV as a vehicle for expanding the domestic share of Poland’s offshore supply chain.
Bartosz Fedurek, CEO of PGE Baltica, described the letter of intent as a clear signal of support for a Polish-flagged vessel and of real interest in deploying it across PGE’s offshore projects. Daniel Ryczek, ARP’s acting president, said the vessel would maximise local content in the sector’s second development phase and strengthen Poland’s position as an offshore maritime services provider in the European market. ARP already deploys Baltic Industrial Group (Grupa Przemysłowa Baltic) as part of its offshore wind industrial base.
