Landfall HDD completed for the Bałtyk 2 & 3 export cables

As part of the works, four horizontal directional drillings (HDDs), each measuring up to more than one kilometer in length, were completed. Protective casing pipes with a diameter of 71 cm, made of a high-strength material, were then installed in the underground ducts. These will accommodate the export cables connecting the offshore wind farms to the onshore transmission grid. 

The completion of the HDD crossings marks one of the most technically demanding stages in the construction of the offshore wind farms’ grid connection infrastructure. It requires meticulous planning, the selection of appropriate technology tailored to local geological conditions, and close coordination of works carried out simultaneously onshore and offshore. 

The operation was delivered by the experienced engineering company Hanab. The HDD technology used for the Equinor and Polenergia’s projects enabled the export cable route to pass beneath the beach and shoreline without the need to dig an open trench, protecting the dunes and their ecosystem. 

The offshore scope of the works involved the Polish company MAG Offshore, which was responsible for, among other things, the marine logistics of protective casing pipes measuring more than one kilometer in length, towing a work barge equipped with a 100-tonne crane, coordinating several support vessels, and assisting with the installation works. The company’s involvement demonstrates the growing role of the Polish supply chain, the development of local expertise, and the emergence of a new industrial sector driven by Poland’s first offshore wind projects, including Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3. 

Developed jointly by Norway’s Equinor and Poland’s Polenergia, the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms will comprise a total of 100 state-of-the-art wind turbines, each standing approximately 260 metres tall. With a combined installed capacity of 1.44 GW, the projects will generate enough renewable electricity to meet the demand of around two million households. First power from the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms is expected to be delivered to Poland’s national grid in 2027, with full commercial operation scheduled for 2028.