Van Oord's recently upgraded heavy lift installation vessel Svanen has put in place the first foundation, consisting of a monopile fitted with a transition piece, of ORLEN and Northland Power's 1.2-gigawatt offshore wind energy (OWE) farm 23 km off Poland's coast.

The developers have contracted Van Oord for the transport and installation of 78 foundations, atop which 15-megawatt turbines will sit. To make the installation possible, Van Oord had to extend Svanen's crane by 25 metres. According to the company, she is now one of the largest vessels of such type in the world.

Baltic Power is expected to be completed in 2026.

Svanen already took part in the set-up of OWE farms in the Baltic, including Kriegers Flak (605MW), Baltic 2 (288MW), Arkona (360MW), and Baltic Eagle (476MW).

Photo: Van Oord