In Świnoujście, at the invitation of the Polish Wind Energy Association, representatives of the Offshore Wind Ports Platform gathered. They participated in a study visit to the Orlen Neptun installation terminal in Świnoujście and the Port of Szczecin.

The opening of the Orlen Neptun installation terminal, scheduled for mid-year, will enable Świnoujście and Szczecin to join the ranks of ports in the region capable of playing an important role in the development of offshore wind energy. Therefore, the Polish Wind Energy Association invited members of the Offshore Wind Ports Platform created by WindEurope to the study visit in Świnoujście and Szczecin.

The visit took place on January 28. Among the participants were Michał Przepiera, Deputy Mayor of Szczecin, Małgosia Bartosik, Deputy Director of WindEurope, a large representation from Orlen Neptun, and the Management Boards of Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports. Guests from ports in other countries included representatives from Groningen, Liepaja, Rønne, Esbjerg, and Odense, as well as several energy and government organizations.

"This is not a random list of guests, as these are the CEOs of the largest installation ports in Europe. Thanks to the platform led by WindEurope, these ports have the opportunity to meet and discuss how to increase synergy and accessibility for investors," said Janusz Gajowiecki, President of the Polish Wind Energy Association.

The day began with a presentation about the capabilities of the Orlen Neptun installation terminal, which is expected to reach operational readiness by mid-year. Afterwards, the group visited the site to see the progress of the terminal’s construction. The quay and storage areas are already completed, and work is ongoing on the administrative building. Transition pieces for wind turbine towers are already being stored in the adjacent area.

"At the moment, we are finishing the final touches. The investment was granted a use permit at the end of last year. We plan to achieve operational readiness by mid-summer. This terminal will primarily serve the installation of Orlen's second-phase offshore wind farms. We will also lease it to other clients interested in using it for the installation and storage of offshore wind farm components," explained Janusz Bil, President of Orlen Neptun.

The terminal is attracting attention from the industry. Its capabilities are being closely monitored by the Morska Agencja Gdynia, involved in both offshore and onshore wind energy.

"We are looking at this in the context of our future development," said Michał Śmigielski, President of MAG. "We know that we handle our cargo at the Euroterminal, but new spaces create new opportunities, so if we don't fit at Euroterminal, we will definitely use the new areas."

Śmigielski emphasized that the Orlen Neptun terminal’s capabilities meet the industry's requirements.

"This is something extra, because there is no terminal in Poland with a quay load capacity of 50 tons per meter. It’s the Mercedes of Polish seaports."

After the visit to the installation terminal and lunch, the participants moved to downtown Szczecin, where they boarded the Odra Queen vessel. From its deck, they had the opportunity to see parts of the port areas and ongoing investments in Port Szczecin, including the recently opened Vestas factory.

"We launched the first stage of the factory on January 7 at 7 a.m. We currently employ 250 people, and we are hiring 50 more each month. We are growing. We started production. Although there are still works ongoing outside the production halls, they do not interfere with our operations at the moment," said Jagna Kubańska-Łyczakowska, Head of Public Affairs Poland and Baltics at Vestas. "The production halls are ready. It was quite a large undertaking related to the modernization and adaptation of the facility, which we took over to meet our production requirements. We managed to complete the work in 11 months after receiving the construction permit and in less than two years since taking over the land from the syndicate."

During the cruise, guests learned more about offshore development in the areas managed by the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaport Authority, through a presentation prepared by the representatives of the company. All of these initiatives are already operating under the common name "West Pomeranian Offshore Valley."

"From Świnoujście to Szczecin, many different types of places have already been built, or are under construction, such as the Vestas and Windar factories," said Rafał Zahorski, development representative at Seaports Authority, adding that many companies in the region are transitioning towards offshore production. "In the Szczecin region, in Skolwin, besides Teleyard, there are currently six more offshore companies. In Police, construction of an offshore factory is now beginning. A port for sending wind turbine blades to offshore wind farms is also planned in Święta, Szczecin," Zahorski listed.

The meeting of offshore port representatives from Europe, which also included journalists from international industry media, provided an opportunity to discuss the needs and opportunities of the sector in Poland and beyond.

"Poland has a chance to become a European offshore hub. This is already happening today. Ports play a key role in the development of offshore. These are very important infrastructure projects, but ports alone won't achieve this. A strategy is needed, with the involvement of the government," said Małgorzata Bartosik, Deputy Director General of WindEurope. "There are ports in Europe with vast experience in offshore. Cooperation and exchange of experiences between these experienced ports and those just starting, like here in Świnoujście, is very important and will benefit us all."

"Such meetings always give another boost. Of course, we are aware that we meet in a specific environment, so we try to step outside to avoid being in a bubble. Nonetheless, industry meetings are extremely important, and exchanging knowledge and experiences builds us up. Additionally, we are forming these relationships, shortening contacts, and it will be much easier to cooperate," commented Michał Przepiera, Deputy Mayor of Szczecin, on the event.