The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW) has granted the CRIST shipyard in Gdynia a PLN 52.6 million loan for the construction of an innovative production line. The products developed on this line will be used in offshore wind energy – the Fund’s press office reported on Wednesday.

The NFOŚiGW press office informed that the loan was granted for the project titled "Increasing production capacity through the construction of a technological line for innovative products in the offshore wind energy supply chain at CRIST S.A."

The total investment cost of the Gdynia-based CRIST shipyard will exceed PLN 70 million, with the loan amount provided by the Fund being PLN 52.6 million.

The goal of the project, which will be implemented by the end of 2027, is to introduce a technological line for the production of products within the offshore wind energy supply chain, such as: offshore transformer stations for wind farms – complete, fully equipped stations or their parts; foundations for offshore wind farms, particularly floating foundations; and floating engineering structures for installing or transporting elements of offshore wind farms to their destination/ wind field.

Paweł Augustyn, the vice president of the NFOŚiGW management board, quoted in the announcement, emphasized that the development of offshore wind energy is one of the key areas of energy transformation in Poland. "Funding innovative technological solutions for this sector will increase investment opportunities for large-scale renewable energy production," he noted.

He added that the Fund supports solutions that contribute to the development of the domestic supply chain, which – as he pointed out – has a positive impact on the country’s economic growth and contributes to the increased share of renewable energy in the energy mix.

The press release also stated that the loan agreement was signed on Tuesday. It was noted that this would be the first such project in Poland in the offshore wind energy sector.

Funding was provided from the "Innovations for the Environment" program, which promotes the use of innovative technologies by entrepreneurs. Investments in existing or newly established enterprises, aimed at: increasing production capacity through the construction of a technological line or factory for innovative products; implementing a new or significantly improved technology or solution that enhances the efficiency of natural resource use, reduces human impact on the environment, or strengthens the economy’s resilience to environmental pressures, are eligible for funding under the program. The project is being implemented from 2020 to 2027.

The CRIST shipyard specializes in building ships, offshore structures, marine, land, and civil engineering. It has constructed three units for installing and servicing offshore wind farms. The CRIST Group also participates in the construction of the largest underwater tunnel, which will connect Denmark with Germany. The connection will consist of a highway and a railway line, covering an 18-kilometer tunnel.

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