It is thundering over the sea when the yellow foundations are hammered down to what will be the Baltic Sea's largest wind farm so far.
Just over ten nautical miles off the resort town of Leba in northern Poland, 76 wind turbines are expected to start producing enough electricity for 1.5 million households in the country as early as next year.
–The hope is that investments like this one can help bring down prices, says Ignacy Niemczycki, State Secretary under Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Coal must go
However, electricity prices are not the main reason for the construction. Instead, it's about climate and security. Poland is to build away its dependence on coal power and does not want to rely on oil and gas – especially not from the east.
–In the long term, there is no sense in importing fossil fuels, regardless of where they come from. Even if it's not cheap, it's at least cheaper than facing Russian aggression, says Niemczycki.
Poland is instead aiming for a combination of wind power and nuclear power. The latter is to provide the basis for the country's energy, even if it will take until at least 2036 before the first nuclear power plant is up and running.
Shorter construction time
The time aspect is another reason for the wind power investment off Leba.
–The construction time is much shorter. When we talk about nuclear power, it takes extremely longer, at least 15 years, as they tend to encounter problems along the way, notes Danish Flemming Ougaard, site manager for the Polish-Canadian consortium behind the construction and operation.
Jakub Jaworowski, Minister for State Assets, is at the same time clear that the Polish government believes that it must be possible to support economically even what is not renewable.
–Europe must make a choice. If we are to be independent, we must pay a little for what we call dirty, he says at a press conference in Warsaw.
Near Russia
The wind farm off Leba is not far from the Russian Kaliningrad. Security is comprehensive, including extremely thorough ID checks of the journalists who have been allowed out to take a look.
State Secretary Niemczycki is however reticent about the details.
–We must be prepared. We have the military involved here to ensure that the Baltic Sea is safe for this type of investment, he says.
Wiktor Nummelin/TT
Facts: Wind and nuclear power in Poland
TT
The wind power project Baltic Power off Leba in northern Poland consists of 76 offshore wind turbines and is expected to cover 3 percent of Poland's energy needs. The project was initiated by Polish Orlen and Canadian Northland Power in 2021, began construction in 2024, and is expected to be put into operation in the second half of 2026.
Nearby, Poland's first nuclear power plant is also to be built in Choczewo. An agreement was signed in 2023 with US companies Westinghouse and Bechtel. The plan is for the first reactor to be operational in 2036, although the country's government has indicated that it may be delayed until 2040.
