Poland Awards First Offshore Wind Auction

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for IIR News Intelligence (Galway, Ireland)

Summary

Poland completed its first auction for offshore wind projects, awarding support for 3.4 gigawatts (GW) of capacity.

Take-off for Polish Offshore Wind

Poland's first offshore wind auction has awarded financial support for 3.4 gigawatts (GW) of capacity spread across three projects. 

Four companies competed in the auction, which was looking for up to 4 GW of capacity, and three winners were chosen for Contracts for Difference (CfD): state-owned Orlen Group (Plock), state-owned PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE) (Warsaw), and a consortium of Norway's Equinor (Stavanger) and Polenergia (Warsaw, Poland). They will move forward with the Baltic East (900 megawatts (MW)), Baltica 9 (975 MW) and Bałtyk 1 (1,560 MW) projects, respectively. Industrial Info is tracking 11 planned offshore wind projects in Poland worth more than US$35 billion in investment. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can click here for the reports. 

The Cost

Within the winning bids, the minimum offered price amounted to roughly 113 euro (US$132) per megawatt-hour (MWh) (Baltic East), while the highest was 117 euro (US$136) (Baltyk 1). As long as the projects produce first power by 2032, they will benefit from the CfD mechanism whereby the government will compensate developers for any difference between the market price of electricity and the auction price for a period of 25 years. 

"The first auction for offshore wind energy in Poland is an event of major importance on the path of our country's energy transition," said President of the Energy Regulatory Office Renata Mroczek. "The fact that it was successfully conducted gives me great satisfaction. The preparation and organisation of the offshore auction involved numerous challenges for the Office I am in charge of, operating in a complex and dynamically changing regulatory environment. This confirms the Regulator's ability to support the strategic objectives of the state in the energy sector."

"Bałtyk 1 is poised to become the largest renewable energy investment project in Poland," commented Dominika Kulczyk, chairwoman of the supervisory board of Polenergia. "Already today, we are delivering two major projects in the Baltic Sea, which form the cornerstone of our offshore wind program. But Bałtyk 1 is something more -- it is a step that fundamentally changes the scale of what is possible and opens an entirely new chapter, both for Polenergia and for the future of the Polish energy sector." 

Last year, Industrial Info reported that Equinor and Polenergia committed to spending more than 7 billion euro (US$8 billion) to build two offshore windfarms in the Baltic Sea. The 50:50 partners confirmed that they had reached financial close for the Baltyk 2 and Baltyk 3 projects. Located 22-37 kilometers off the Polish coast, the windfarms will have a total capacity of 1,440 MW - 720 MW each - and will be developed in parallel, largely within the same time schedule, consisting of 100 fixed-bottom turbines. For additional information, see June 3, 2025, article - Financing Cleared for Poland's Baltyk 2 & 3 Offshore Windfarms.

Poland's Offshore Wind Ambitions

Baltyk 2 and Baltyk 3 are expected to be operational by 2028 and will play a key role in helping Poland meet its target of 5.9 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and up to 18 GW by 2040. In 2024, the country's onshore wind segment topped 10 GW of installed capacity. Poland wants to have 15.8 GW of onshore wind capacity by 2030 and could hit 41 GW by 2040, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), as long as there are further regulatory adjustments, particularly regarding minimum distance rules. 

Key Takeaways

• There were three winners in Poland's first offshore wind auction, with 3.4 gigawatts (GW) of capacity approved for support
• The largest project is the Bałtyk 1 project with a capacity of 1,560 MW by Equinor and Polenergia
• Poland is aiming to have 5.9 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030

About IIR News Intelligence

IIR News Intelligence is a trusted source of news for the industrial process and energy markets, powered by Industrial Info Resource's Global Market Intelligence (GMI).

About Industrial Info Resources

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).