Poland selects new sites for offshore wind farms, also addresses security risks

Poland plans to designate new areas in the Baltic Sea for offshore wind farm development. It is also preparing new measures to protect critical energy infrastructure at sea. Reuters reported.

Poland plans to support the development of offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea by setting aside additional areas where new wind farms could be built. According to Arkadiusz Marchewka of the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure, the relevant authorities are currently finalising analyses that will inform decisions on new sites for offshore wind farms.

The news of planned development of Polish offshore wind farms comes a few days after Sweden rejected 13 offshore wind farm project applications in the Baltic Sea over concerns that they could undermine the country's defence capabilities.

“Offshore wind farms are a Polish national interest,” Marchewka said.

In addition to further developing offshore wind farms, Poland is therefore also planning new security measures. These build on 2023 legislation allowing the Polish military to sink an enemy ship heading towards Polish energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

“The events we have witnessed since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and the hybrid threats you sometimes hear about in the media, are very significant,” said Zbigniew Muszynski, director of the Government Centre for Security.

According to the Polish Wind Energy Association, Poland's offshore wind potential is as much as 33 GW. To bring the country closer to harnessing this potential, the maximum level of operating support was increased last month. The Polish government is also planning to vary the level of support according to how far a project is from the coast.