Van Oord completes 111 Baltica 2 monopiles as Polish offshore build advances

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Van Oord has completed the installation of all 111 monopile foundations for the 1.5 GW Baltica 2 offshore wind farm in Poland, closing a major marine construction campaign involving foundations weighing about 1,900 tonnes each.

The Rotterdam based marine contractor said on August 21 that the installation programme covered 107 monopiles for wind turbines and four for offshore substations. The work was completed on schedule using the specialist offshore installation vessels Svanen and Aeolus.

For the offshore wind supply chain, the milestone marks the completion of a demanding transport and installation package involving the movement, handling and offshore installation of some of the largest components required for the Polish project.

Baltica 2 is being jointly developed by PGE and Ørsted and will have a generating capacity of 1.5 GW. Ørsted is responsible for preparing and delivering the offshore part of the development, including the monopile installation campaign.

Van Oord was contracted for the transport and installation of the foundations and associated scour protection.

The dimensions of the foundations illustrate the logistics challenge behind the campaign. Each monopile is up to 100 metres long, measures between 9.5 and 10.5 metres in diameter and weighs approximately 1,900 tonnes.

Moving components on that scale from manufacturing facilities through the offshore supply chain requires coordination between fabrication, port handling, marine transport, installation vessels and weather planning. Installation sequencing also has to match the availability of foundations and vessels to prevent interruptions offshore.

In total, the 111 foundations represent roughly 210,900 tonnes based on Van Oord’s approximate individual monopile weight, although actual weights can vary between foundations.

Van Oord deployed two installation vessels during the campaign, allowing different activities to proceed in parallel.

The heavy lift installation vessel Svanen and offshore installation vessel Aeolus were used to maintain the pace of foundation installation. According to Van Oord, combining the vessels helped optimise offshore operations and keep the programme on schedule.

The approach demonstrates how vessel deployment has become an important part of the logistics equation as offshore wind components increase in size. A monopile approaching 100 metres in length cannot simply be treated as conventional project cargo. Its dimensions and weight influence transport arrangements, lifting operations, installation sequences and the weather conditions under which work can proceed.

Van Oord said its project teams worked with Ørsted to coordinate installation sequencing, logistics and vessel deployment throughout the campaign.

“Completing the monopile installation campaign for Baltica 2 safely and on schedule is an important milestone for the project and for Poland’s offshore wind ambitions,” Maurits den Broeder, Managing Director Offshore Energy at Van Oord, said.

He added that cooperation with Ørsted was important in maintaining the installation programme and completing the phase according to schedule.

Once operational, Baltica 2 is expected to generate enough renewable electricity to supply around 2.5 million Polish households, according to the developers.

Completion of the monopiles removes one of the major offshore construction packages from the project schedule and establishes the physical foundations needed for the wind turbines and offshore substations.

The project also adds to the volume of heavy offshore wind components moving through the Baltic region. Foundations of this size place specific demands on fabrication yards, ports, heavy transport systems and installation fleets, making logistics capacity an important factor as Poland develops its offshore wind market.

Van Oord is already involved in another Polish offshore wind development, Baltic Power. The company described that project as its first offshore wind project in Poland.

Baltica 2 therefore represents another large scale foundation campaign for Van Oord in the country’s developing offshore energy sector.

For the contractor, completion of the 111 installations shifts attention away from the foundation transport and installation phase while the wider Baltica 2 construction programme continues toward the installation and integration of its offshore generating and electrical infrastructure.