Key components delivered to the Baltica 2 onshore transformer station

"The delivery of the power transformers, and previously also other power components, not only marks the achievement of a significant milestone in the construction process of the Baltica 2 onshore substation. It was also, above all, a complex logistical operation involving a ship, the ports of Gdynia and Władysławowo, tugboats, a barge, and special multi-axle wheeled vehicles capable of transporting oversized cargo.  It is in the Choczewo commune that our "inlet" to the national power grid is being built, allowing about 2.5 million customers to benefit from the electricity generated by the Baltica 2 wind farm," said Bartosz Fedurek, CEO of PGE Baltica.

"From the onshore substation, we monitor and control the entire electrical infrastructure, including offshore substations and wind turbines located approximately 40 km offshore. Together with PGE, approximately 50 of our engineers planned, designed, and helped build the electrical infrastructure to ensure a reliable energy source. We do this while maintaining the highest standards of occupational health and safety, and environmental protection – because we want everyone working on the project to return home safely every day,” said Ulrik Lange, Managing Director of the Baltica 2 project, Ørsted.

After arriving in the Baltic Container Terminal in Gdynia, the power transformers were shipped to port of Władysławowo, from where logistics personnel transported them overnight to the station in Osieki Lęborskie. Each power transformer weighs approximately 360 tons, equivalent to the takeoff weight (including passengers, fuel, and cargo) of a Boeing 777 aircraft. In addition to the 450 MVA power transformers, GE Vernova also supplied shunt reactors to the construction site.

There is currently a lot of activity ongoing at the construction site in the Choczewo commune. The general contractor for the transformer station is a consortium of GE Vernova and Polimex Mostostal. The main 275 kV and 400 kV gas insulated switchgear buildings are being equipped with switchgears and auxiliary systems. Among other things, the gantries, which will connect the station to the national grid of the Transmission System Operator, PSE, are already completed. Testing and commissioning of the onshore station are scheduled for 2026 and 2027.

The high-voltage substation for the Baltica 2 wind farm is being built on a nearly 13-hectare site in Osieki Lęborskie, Choczewo commune in Pomerania. The electricity generated by the offshore wind farm will be delivered to this substation. After reaching the shore, the 275 kV current will be transmitted via a 6-kilometer-long cable route to the onshore transformer station. Here, it will be converted to 400 kV and then transmitted to the national grid via the nearby Choczewo TSO’s substation. To the north of the station, near the shore, work is underway on a horizontal directional drilling that will enable the connection of the onshore and offshore sections of the cables. By using this technology, the investors are significantly minimizing their environmental impact.

Baltica 2, with a capacity of up to 1.5 GW, is a joint-venture of PGE and Ørsted. Once launched in 2027, it will be the largest offshore wind farm in Poland, capable of supplying approximately 2.5 million households with green energy.