The Baltic Sea has enormous potential for the development of offshore wind farms. In the opinion of one of the producers of wind turbines, Poland may play the leading role in this respect.
According to the estimates of the representative of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy for Poland, Paweł Przybylski, presented in an interview with Bloomberg, until 2040 the installed capacity in offshore wind installations in the Baltic Sea will amount to several dozen GW. Poland, which is currently almost 70 percent dependent on coal-based energy production, wants to use a significant part of this potential. According to the recently adopted Energy Policy, within 20 years the installed capacity in offshore wind farms is to amount to 11 GW. Energy obtained from offshore installations and other renewable sources is to constitute, next to nuclear energy and gas, the foundation of Poland’s new energy mix.
The estimated investment outlays for offshore wind energy projects in Poland are to amount to PLN 130 billion. The ambition of the Polish authorities is to create an entire value chain centered around offshore wind farms so that as much of the above-mentioned amount as possible could feed the domestic economy. Currently, Siemens Gamesa has over 60 percent of the global market for offshore wind turbines. The turbine manufacturer is not planning to build a factory in Poland yet.
In a comment to Bloomberg, Przybylski pointed out that ports and ships were of great interest to investors, as a result of which projects in Poland may encounter potential bottlenecks in implementation. The plans of some energy companies to start offshore energy production domestically in 2024 are becoming less and less realistic, while 2025 is already a very ambitious target.
In addition to the Baltic Sea, the company sees the potential to develop offshore wind installations in the North Sea and Irish Sea, North America and Southeast Asia.
Source: Bloomberg
