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Giant ship used in the construction of Baltic Power draws attention for the scale of the operation in the Baltic Sea, where metal foundations up to 100 meters need to be positioned before the installation of the turbines of Poland’s first offshore wind farm.
Mobilized for one of the heaviest phases of Baltic Power, the ship Svanen, from the fleet of Van Oord, took on the installation of the foundations of Poland’s first offshore wind farm, in a large-scale operation in the Baltic Sea.
The vessel arrived at the port of Gdynia on November 8, 2024, a stage that prepared the start of the offshore works of the project developed by ORLEN and Northland Power.
The mission of the Svanen involves the installation of the monopiles, cylindrical steel structures that serve as a base for turbines and substations in large-scale offshore wind farms.
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In Baltic Power, these pieces reach 100 meters in length, are about 9 meters in diameter, and can weigh up to 1,700 tons, according to the company responsible for the project.
Foundations of Poland’s first offshore wind farm
Long before the turbines become visible in the Baltic landscape, the decisive stage occurs below the surface, where the bases need to be positioned on the seabed.
After this installation, the transition pieces connect the monopiles to the turbine towers and the offshore substation structures, forming the physical base of energy generation at sea.
According to Baltic Power, the Svanen was designated to install the monopiles linked to the 76 turbines of 15 MW and the two offshore substations planned in the project.
Due to the size and weight of the structures, transportation to the park area occurs only by sea, with support from special tugs from the transshipment port.
The crane’s strength is just one part of the operation, as wind, waves, depth, seabed, and work windows directly interfere with each stage of the installation.
At sea, this set of variables turns the placement of the foundations into a precision task, essential for the entire assembly sequence to progress without compromising the construction.
Larger Crane for 15 MW Offshore Turbines
Among the main figures of the Svanen is the performance of the lifting system, which was upgraded to keep pace with the increasing dimensions of structures used in offshore wind energy.
After the upgrade, the main crane increased from 120 to 125 meters, while the lifting capacity rose from 3,000 to 4,500 tons, according to Baltic Power.
The modernization also included the extension of 25 meters on the gantry, improvements in the lifting hooks, adjustments to the gripper, and adaptations to the vessel’s structure to operate with the latest installation hammers.
With these changes, the ship is prepared to handle foundations associated with the new generation of offshore turbines, whose size requires equipment capable of working on an industrial scale.
In practice, the Svanen functions as a specialized floating platform, designed to align and install giant parts at defined points in the park, rather than as a common cargo ship.
This function reduces the margin for improvisation, as the work depends on stability, assembly sequence, technical calculation, and maritime coordination in an environment subject to constant changes.
Baltic Power Logistics Begins Before the Turbines
The arrival of the Svanen in Gdynia was part of a broader mobilization campaign, organized before the start of work on the offshore section of Baltic Power.
In this phase, ports, support vessels, tugboats, transshipment areas, and installation teams need to operate in a coordinated manner to prepare the assembly of the turbines.
For Baltic Power itself, hiring ships of this size represents one of the sector’s challenges, as few specialized vessels are available in Europe for this type of service.
Besides the fleet shortage, transferring ships to the Baltic requires specific planning, including the need to pass through the Danish straits.
Another factor increases logistical complexity: installation vessels are usually reserved years in advance and for limited periods, which reduces the margin for delays.
Therefore, the integration between suppliers, ports, tugboats, auxiliary vessels, and the work front becomes as important as the power of the equipment used to lift the foundations.
Svanen Keeps Up with the Evolution of Offshore Wind Energy
In service since 1991, the Svanen began operating in offshore projects in 2005 and received successive updates as marine turbines increased in size.
Throughout this journey, the vessel has already installed more than 700 monopiles in European projects, accumulating experience in works that require lifting strength and operational precision.
The logic of a monopile foundation seems simple: a large steel tube is taken to the defined location, aligned, and fixed to the seabed.
Executing this task on a real scale, however, requires rigorous control, as each structure needs to support equipment designed to operate for decades in a maritime environment.
In the Polish project, this physical base supports a plant planned to integrate about 1.2 GW into the national energy system in 2026.
Baltic Power states that the park should account for approximately 3% of Poland’s electricity demand and reduce national CO2 emissions by about 2.8 million tons per year.
Work in the Baltic Sea advances with turbine installation
In June 2026, Baltic Power reported that the installation of the 50th turbine, out of a total of 76, had been completed in the offshore wind farm.
In the same update, the company indicated that mandatory power and infrastructure tests were scheduled for the following weeks, while the installation campaign was expected to finish in the second half of 2026.
This progress shows that the installation of the foundations not only serves as preparation but as the stage that allows the progressive assembly of the entire wind farm.
Without the driving of the monopiles, there is no structural connection for towers, nacelles, blades, substations, cables, and other systems necessary for offshore operation.
Even after modernization, the Svanen depends on a synchronized chain, in which each component needs to arrive at the right place at the right time.
Coordination avoids delays in a maritime work subjected to weather conditions, operational restrictions, and work windows that can change the pace of installation.
In Poland’s first offshore wind farm, the infrastructure begins with a stage little seen by the public: giant foundations driven into the bottom of the Baltic Sea.
Before renewable generation reaches the grid, machines like the Svanen transform naval planning, steel, and offshore engineering into a physical structure for energy production.
If a single vessel can install foundations up to 100 meters to erect an entire wind farm at sea, how many other giant machines work out of the public eye supporting the infrastructure used every day?
