Each of the offshore wind farm projects in the Baltic is on the right, albeit long, path to finalization, marked by the start of power delivery to the electricity grid. Recently, the investor in the BC-WIND farm received an extremely important environmental decision, bringing the day closer when construction work itself can begin. What does this mean?
Environmental decision for BC-WIND
The Regional Director of Environmental Protection has issued a decision on environmental conditions for the connection infrastructure of the BC-WIND offshore wind farm. This is an extremely important step on the way to the start of the construction work itself, which will result in the production of clean energy by this wind farm in the Baltic Sea. In order to obtain this document, it was necessary to prepare a detailed report on the environmental impact of the farm and to conduct an archaeological inventory of the Baltic Sea bottom. In addition, studies were conducted on the impact of the offshore cable route on the functioning of the entire marine ecosystem.
Transmission of energy produced by the farm to the national power grid will require the laying of about 33 km of cable on the seabed and about 8 km on land. It is worth noting that for the construction of this infrastructure the investor has decided to use trenchless technology, which will minimize the impact of the cables on the environment. Thanks to this solution, for example, the shore and beach will not have to be dug up, thus preserving their natural structure.
BC-WIND – highlights of the wind farm
The BC-Wind offshore wind farm is to be built about 23 km from the Baltic coastline, at the height of the Krokowa and Choczewo municipalities. The depth of the sea in the area of the farm’s location varies from 35 to 60 meters. The farm will consist of 34 wind turbines, sited on an area of about 90, 94 sq. km. This will translate into an installed capacity of 500 MW.
The investor of the BC-WIND farm remains Ocean Winds, a company formed by EDP Renewables and ENGIE, the global leaders in the offshore wind market. The development has been underway since 2012, when the company received the first location decision for the construction of the artificial islands. Electricity production by BC-WIND should begin in 2028.