Baltex Energia has become the seventh company to acquire licences for offshore wind sites in the Polish zone off the Baltic coast, “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç Offshore has learned. The Polish Ministry of Transport confirmed it has issued two licences for deep-water sites to the company, although it refused to release further details.
Generpol, owned by Swiss investment firm Seapower Invest, holds five licences. Another three have been granted to Polish power company, PGE and two to the Kulczyk Investment group. Three companies hold one licence each: PKN Orlen, Deme Group and A-Wind.
The issue of two further licences contrasts with earlier indications that the ministry may use the development of a maritime spatial plan as a reason to suspend further licensing for offshore wind projects.
Transport minister Slawomir Nowak said last week that his ministry will issue all 27 pending offshore wind licences during the first quarter of 2013. In total, 62 applications have been received from companies seeking to develop offshore wind projects in the Polish Baltic Sea. Fifteen licences have been issued thus far, while a dozen applications were rejected and nine withdrawn.
As “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç Offshore reported last month, the ministry has received payment for just five of the 15 offshore wind licences, raising the possibility that many of the developers that have won early licences will choose not to take their projects forward.
Fears that they will not be able to secure grid connections in time to meet required project milestones is thought to be a key reason for the developers’ reluctance to proceed.
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