Poland is Building Wind Power Close to Russia
Security is tight as the Baltic Sea gets its largest offshore wind farm, just a few nautical miles from Kaliningrad in Russia.
– We must be ready, warns the Polish government.
The sound of hammering echoes across the sea as the yellow foundations are driven into the ground for what will become the largest wind farm in the Baltic Sea to date.
Just over ten nautical miles off the seaside resort of Leba in northern Poland, 76 wind turbines will start producing enough electricity for 1.5 million households in the country as early as next year.
– The hope is that investments like this will bring prices down, says Ignacy Niemczycki, State Secretary to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The coal must go
However, electricity prices are not the main reason for the construction. Instead, it is about climate and security. Poland wants to reduce its dependence on coal power and does not want to rely on oil and gas – especially not from the east.
– In the long term, there is no sense in importing fossil fuels, regardless of where they come from. Even if it is not cheap, it is still cheaper than facing Russian aggression, says Niemczycki.
Poland is instead aiming for a combination of wind power and nuclear power. The latter will form the basis of the country’s energy supply, although it will be 2036 at the earliest before the first nuclear power plant is operational.
Shorter construction time
The time factor is another reason for the wind power investment outside Leba.
– The construction time is much shorter. When we talk about nuclear power, it takes much longer, at least 15 years, because problems tend to arise during that time, says Flemming Ougaard, site manager for the Polish-Canadian consortium behind the construction and operation.
Jakub Jaworowski, Minister of State Assets, is also clear that the Polish government believes it must be possible to provide financial support even for things that are not renewable.
– Europe has to make a choice. If we want to be independent, we have to pay for some of what we call dirty, he said at a press conference in Warsaw.
Close to Russia
The wind farm outside Leba is not far from Kaliningrad in Russia. Security is extensive, including extremely thorough ID checks of journalists who have been allowed in to take a look.
However, State Secretary Niemczycki is tight-lipped about the details.
– We have to be ready. We have the military involved here to ensure that the Baltic Sea is safe for this type of investment, he says.
The Baltic Power wind farm is being built not far from the entrance to the Russian Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad. Baltic Power Sp./TT
The Baltic Power wind farm off the coast of Leba in northern Poland consists of 76 offshore wind turbines and will cover 3 percent of Poland’s energy needs. The project was initiated by Polish company Orlen and Canadian company Northland Power in 2021, construction began in 2024, and it is scheduled to be commissioned in the second half of 2026.
Poland’s first nuclear power plant is also to be built nearby in Choczewo. Agreements were signed in 2023 with US companies Westinghouse and Bechtel. The plan is for the first reactor to be operational in 2036, although the country’s government has indicated that this may be delayed until 2040.
