The development of offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea will not be possible without transmission infrastructure. The Polish power system operator Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne announced that until 2030 it will allocate PLN 4.5 billion (approximately EUR 1 billion) for the construction and modernization of stations and transmission lines in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Until 2040, offshore wind farms in Poland will be able to supply the national power system with approximately 11 GW of power. Experts indicate that Poland’s potential is much greater. This corresponds to approximately 20 percent of the entire production potential in Poland today. Companies investing in offshore wind farms will be responsible for shifting power from offshore farms to land. The Polish power system operator Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne will forward it to other parts of the country. The operator has already issued connection conditions for offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 8.4 GW. The first of them will start producing electricity as early as 2026.

The power is in Pomerania

For Poland, the expansion of power grids in Pomerania will be of key importance. Currently, there are only a few generating units in the Pomeranian Voivodeship and electricity has to be transmitted to it from other regions. The development of offshore wind energy sector will radically change this situation – the energy generated in Pomerania will flow deep into the country. To this end, the Polish operator has to expand the extra-high voltage networks. In order to transmit power from offshore wind turbines, two new electrical substations and four 400 kV lines are needed. Soon, more than 250 kilometers of new high-voltage overhead lines must be built, the beginning of which is in the Choczewo commune. Four new power lines will leave the electrical substation – towards the Żarnowiec electrical substation in the Krokowa commune, to the Gdańsk Przyjaźń electrical substation in the Żukowo commune, to the existing Grudziądz Węgrowo-Gdańsk Błonia line near Tczew and towards Słupsk.

Currently, public consultations of the proposed line routes are underway, both with institutions, local government authorities and residents of more than 20 communes of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. In June, meetings will be held with the residents of the communes of Choczewo, Gniewino, Krokowa, Przodkowo, Kartuzy and Żukowo.

The Polish power system operator Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne has also started an environmental inventory aimed at obtaining an environmental decision for the investment.

Infrastructure does not endanger society

The Polish power system operator Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne argue that the electricity infrastructure is safe for its neighbors – both people and animals. The construction of new stations and lines is always carried out in accordance with strict standards resulting from Polish and European law, including environmental protection standards. When designing the route of the line, the company limits its length and the area it occupies, especially in areas used for agricultural purposes. The investor also minimizes the number of places where the line approaches residential buildings. The Polish power system operator Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne also minimize deforestation and minimize interference with the landscape.

Source: PSE