ZE PAK and Ørsted plan wind farms in the Baltic Sea
ZE PAK, one of the leaders of the energy transition in Poland, and Ørsted, a global leader in offshore wind energy, are ready to build offshore wind farms quickly and efficiently. Cooperation is the best way to bring cheap and clean wind energy to Polish homes and businesses.
The partners have signed an agreement and will together apply for location permits for wind farms in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea. If they are successful, Ørsted and PAK will create a regional Fund for Just Transition for Eastern Wielkopolska with a budget of about 50 million PLN (10 million euro), while guaranteeing social security in a region particularly vulnerable to the economic and social effects of coal phasing out.
- ZE PAK and Ørsted declare the fast implementation of the joint project, which will help to reduce Poland’s dependence on imported energy resources.
- The investment will be accompanied by measures to support the economic and social security of Eastern Wielkopolska, where ZE PAK operates.
ZE PAK and Orsted have concluded that joining forces is a better solution than separately bidding for locations in the Baltic Sea. ZE PAK is moving away from coal and needs to replace dirty coal capacity with clean energy by 2030, while Ørsted has developed the world’s largest portfolio of 28 offshore wind farms with a capacity of about 7.6 GW.
The perfect mix to support Poland’s energy transition and sovereignty
ZE PAK’s knowledge of the Polish energy market and its position within it, together with Orsted’s practical knowledge and world-leading experience in offshore energy, is the best combination when it comes to building offshore wind projects.
– ZE PAK is one of the key energy companies in Poland, providing stable energy sources and supplies. We are the largest private energy producer with a very ambitious plan to transform towards green energy and green hydrogen. Investment in offshore wind farms is an important part of ZE PAK’s energy transformation. We are pleased that Orsted, the company that has built the most offshore wind farms in the world, is our partner. The joining of forces between ZE PAK and Orsted guarantees the construction of offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea in a short period of time and thus the fast delivery of cheap and green energy to the Polish people, which is especially important in these times – said Zygmunt Solorz, the main shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ZE PAK.
ZE PAK employs 3,500 people and is the largest employer in Eastern Wielkopolska, a region particularly vulnerable to the effects of the low-carbon transition.
In 2021, as part of its energy transition, ZE PAK started production from the largest solar farm in Poland in the Wielkopolska region built on a reclaimed area of a former lignite open pit. It has also invested in initiatives to build a comprehensive green hydrogen value chain that can help decarbonize other sectors of the Polish economy.
– The development of green energy sources, including offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea, can counteract climate change while simultaneously strengthening the energy security of Europe and Poland. With every gigawatt of offshore wind erected, dependence on fossil fuel imports is reduced. In offshore wind, where 1-2 GW projects are already becoming the norm, we specialise in timely and cost-optimised implementation for the benefit of energy consumers. I am convinced that thanks to the local know-how of ZE PAK and the global experience of Ørsted, the consortium will manage to deliver clean and cheap energy from offshore wind power to Polish homes and companies on time and within budget – says Rasmus Errboe, senior vice president and head of Continental Europe at Ørsted.
Ørsted is the world’s largest and most experienced offshore wind energy producer. The company has been developing and scaling this technology for more than 30 years, implementing innovative solutions and contributing significantly to reducing costs to today’s competitive levels.
Ørsted is a public utility company controlled by the Danish government. The company has built 28 offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 7.6 GW from the US, through Europe, to the Asia Pacific. The strategic goal is to have a portfolio of operational offshore farms with a total capacity of 15 GW by 2025 and 30 GW by 2030. This will be achieved through DKK 350 billion of renewable energy investments, of which around 80% will be allocated to investment in offshore wind and green hydrogen.
Source: PortalMorski.pl
