RWE moves forward on 350MW Polish offshore wind

Atlantique Offshore Energy will supply the substation for RWE’s 350MW F.E.W Baltic II wind farm in the Polish Baltic Sea. The subsidiary of French company, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, worked with RWE on Arkona’s offshore substation in 2018.

Atlantique will be responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction, installation (EPCI) and commissioning of F.E.W Baltic II’s substation. Design work is already under way, with installation scheduled for 2025.

Sven Utermöhlen, CEO Offshore Wind at RWE Renewables, said: “With selecting Chantiers de l’Atlantique, we have passed the next milestone on the way to realising our first Polish offshore wind farm. Poland is one of the most attractive, emerging offshore markets in Europe. With our F.E.W. Baltic II project, we will contribute significantly to Poland’s green energy transition and accelerate the development of the local supply chain.”

The Polish Energy Regulatory Office awarded a Contract for Difference (CfD) to the project last year. It is subject to final approval from the European Commission, which is expected this year. RWE secured the environmental permit for the project last year. It was the first Environmental Impact Assessment for a Polish offshore wind project, which was assessed under a cross-border procedure (ESPOO convention), alongside Danish and Swedish stakeholders.

RWE said it would engage a range of Polish companies in the engineering and supply of equipment and services for the project, allowing “the French and Polish offshore wind value chain to gather momentum and play an important role in the installation of the substation in Polish waters”.

Once fully operational, F.E.W Baltic II will produce enough electricity to supply around 350,000 Polish households.