Polish network operator PSE has granted German and Polish utilities RWE and PGE a grid connection agreement for offshore wind projects in the Polish exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea, the Polish Offshore Wind Energy Society (PTMEW) said.

The grid link for state-controlled PGE Group will be for its 1.5GW Baltica 2 project, while RWE was granted a grid connection for the 350MW FEW Baltic II project.

Both agreements were signed on Dec. 23, 2020, PTMEW said.

The agreement - which will bring the two projects by PGE and RWE closer to a construction start – were granted as Poland’s parliament is expected to approve a long-awaited offshore wind act at the beginning of this year, which contains a 5.9GW target for wind at sea by 2030, and an 8-11GW target corridor for 2040.

PGE, which is also Poland’s largest power producer, late last year had unveiled plans to boost its renewable energy capacity to 6.5GW by 2030, and become climate neutral in 2050. The utility currently is still heavily dependent on coal in generation.

The company for some time has been negotiating a cooperation agreement with Danish offshore wind champion Orsted over Baltica 2, and also the adjacent Baltica 3 project, which jointly have a capacity of 2.5GW.

RWE had bought FEW Baltic II and three other projects from Baltic Trade & Invest in late 2019, and then had said it hopes to start construction on a first project as early as in 2023.

Wind

RWE, PGE granted grid connection for Polish offshore wind projects