ARP and GRI Renewable Industries signed an agreement for construction of offshore wind towers factory. The investment, signed on 19^th January, is worth 200 million euro. Production is going to start in 2025. The event was attended by deputy minister of climate, Ireneusz Zyska. 

The joint venture agreement was reached between ARP S.A. (Agencja Rozwoju Przemysłu), Baltic Towers sp. z o.o. and Spanish company GRI Renewable Industries, S.L.

Cezariusz Lesisz, president of ARP informed that the new investment located in Gdańsk, with access to the shore, will include a production hall for offshore wind towers above 14 MW. „New facility will meet the highest technical and quality standards established by the key customers in offshore wind industry”, said Lesisz.

He added that the new factory will be designed and built according to Industry 4.0. standrard. „We want (…) our factory to be automated and robotic in order to meet the highest quality standards, so that our partners, customers are sure that our towers delivered by Baltic Towers – this is the name we gave to our company – will fulfil their expectations”, assured Lesisz.

Ireneusz Zyska, deputy minister of climate and environment, who was present at the meeting, underlined that the offshore wind industry is a very strong impulse for development of Polish economy.

„Taking into account excellent wind conditions, good geological state of the seabed and accessibility of southern Baltic Sea teritories in the Polish zone, Poland has one of the greatest potentials in Europe when it comes to development of this new, technologically innovative sector of economy. When thinking of its construction (…) in Poland we would like to maximalise participation of Polish business, academies and research institutes, but most of all – Polish industry”, said Zyska.

„I hope the ARP-GRI Renewable Industries, S.L. partnership will bring excellent results for both sides, but mostly for the Polish economy”, underlined the minister. He noticed that the offshore wind energy is not only an energetic project, but „also a civilizational, industrial, concerning energetic safety of Poland and all Baltic region”.

The deputy minister informed that „the sector can cover, in total value chain, PLN 130-150 billion in Poland”.

Jon Riberas, president of GRI Renewable Industries, S.L., emphasised that the company is new in Poland. „We have two factories, including one in Wrocław. We hire over 500 employees in Poland. We are here for over 15 years and our turnover is 600 million euro. Poland is a very important country for us”, he said.

He added that the new offshore wind towers factory is „a very significant investment for GRI Renewable Industries, which annually will make for approx. 200 new towers for wind energy in Poland. We are going to hire 400 employees. We will engage all our know-how to develop this industry in Poland. (…) This engagement should result in opportunities of producing 20 GW till 2030 and a perspective of 90 GW till 2050. This makes our this region the most dynamically developing one in this energy sector”, indicated Riberas.

As he stated, the investment has a strategic significance which will provide Poland with the leading role in Baltic Sea region. „Surely, we will need a lot of engagement on the Polish government side, I am thinking logistics, infrastructure”, he added.

Industry Development Agency underlined that planning the ARP investment will make it possible to meet the growing demand for wind towers.

The Agency underlined that as one of the Sector Deal parts, ARP takes a number of actions concerning offshore wind development in Polend, one of which being the planned cooperation with GRI Renewable, S.L.

It was stated that the GK ARP Grupa Przemysłowa Baltic (GBP) has expertise in the renewable energy industry and offshore sector, focusing on three segnments: wind towers, onshore/offshore steel constructions, vessels. For the last 10 years, GPB together with its subsidiaries have produced over 4.000 sections of onshore wind towers, as well as a number of transformer stations and elements dedicated to offshote wind.

Since 2008, GRI Renewable Industries, S.L. has been developing production of offshore wind towers and collars. Currently, it has 18 factories in Spain, US, Brasil, Argentina, China, Turkey, India and SA, providing the highest class wind towers and collars for wind energy industry all over the world.