BC-Wind

In 2025 Ocean Winds awarded CRIST Offshore the contract to construct the offshore substation for the BC-Wind project. CRIST Offshore, based in Poland, will carry out engineering, construction and commissioning of the offshore substation at the CRIST shipyard in Gdynia, involving around 400 workers. The substation topside, weighing about 2,000 tonnes according to project information, will collect power from the 26 turbines and export it ashore. This supplier selection secures a Tier‑1 Polish yard to deliver the key offshore electrical hub for BC-Wind.

In 2025 P&Q signed an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) contract with Ocean Winds for the onshore 400/275 kV transformer substation and associated 400 kV cable line serving BC-Wind. As leader of the consortium, P&Q will prepare detailed designs and analyses, construct the high‑voltage line, and commission the system, connecting the wind farm’s export cables to the new PSE S.A. 400 kV Choczewo grid substation. The contract covers the full delivery chain from design through installation and energisation, making P&Q the primary onshore substation contractor for BC-Wind.

In 2025 Hellenic Cables, in consortium with DEME, signed an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) contract with Ocean Winds for part of the submarine cable system at the BC-Wind offshore wind farm. The agreement, referenced in a later 2026 announcement, established Hellenic Cables as a key partner for BC-Wind’s subsea links alongside DEME’s installation capabilities. This EPCI award preceded and complemented a subsequent inter-array cable supply contract, and together they position Hellenic Cables as supplier for the project’s export and array cable connections.

In 2025, Ocean Winds obtained construction permits (building permits) for both the offshore and onshore parts of the BC-Wind project, enabling the transition into the construction phase. These permits authorise the construction of the wind turbines, foundations and offshore electrical infrastructure, as well as the related onshore facilities. The awarding of these Pozwolenie na budowę decisions followed completion of environmental and transmission permitting and was cited by the developer as coinciding with the Final Investment Decision. Together, they established the full legal basis required under Polish Construction Law to start building the 390 MW bottom-fixed offshore wind farm and its associated onshore infrastructure in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

In 2025, Ocean Winds secured two Polish installation ports for BC-Wind’s construction logistics: Terminal T5 in Gdańsk for turbine marshalling and Świnoujście Offshore Terminal for foundations. These port arrangements ensure domestic port capacity for storage, pre‑assembly and load‑out of turbines and monopile foundations for the 26‑turbine, 390 MW project in the Baltic Sea, supporting the strategy to deliver BC-Wind fully from Polish ports.

In December 2025, Chinese foundation fabricator Dajin Heavy Industry held the first steel-cutting ceremony for the monopiles of the BC-Wind offshore wind farm, marking the start of physical manufacturing under its contract with Ocean Winds. Dajin's scope covers 27 monopile shafts plus 27 transition pieces — 26 for the Siemens Gamesa SG 14-236 turbines and 1 set for the offshore substation foundation — with delivery scheduled in 2026 to align with DEME's planned 2027 offshore installation campaign. The milestone moves foundation supply from contracting (Dec 2025) into active fabrication and is the first major piece of project-level steelwork to begin production after Ocean Winds' 1 December 2025 financial close.

In 2025, Ocean Winds contracted Polish company P&Q to build the onshore substation for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm. P&Q will act as general contractor for the onshore station, delivering key elements of the transmission infrastructure that will receive power from the offshore export cables and connect it to the National Power System. This contract strengthens the role of Polish suppliers in BC-Wind’s grid connection works and underpins the start of onshore construction activities scheduled from 2026.

On 18 December 2025 DEME announced it had secured three installation contracts from Ocean Winds for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm. The scope covers installation of 27 monopile foundations (26 turbine foundations and one offshore substation foundation), inter-array cables and the export cable. DEME will deploy its offshore installation vessel Orion, equipped with a 5,000‑tonne crane, motion‑compensated pile gripper and advanced ballasting systems, to execute these works. The award makes DEME a key construction partner for BC-Wind’s foundations and subsea cables in the Polish Baltic Sea.

On 11 December 2025, DEME announced it had been awarded three major contracts by Ocean Winds for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm in Polish waters. DEME will install 27 monopile foundations (26 for turbines and one for the offshore substation) and deliver the full engineering‑to‑installation scope for both inter‑array and export cables. The works will utilise the vessels Orion, Living Stone and Viking Neptun, with the export cable contract executed in consortium with Hellenic Cables. Offshore installation campaigns are scheduled across 2027 and 2028, underpinning the project’s construction programme.

On 1 December 2025, Ocean Winds reached Final Investment Decision and financial close for the 390 MW BC‑Wind offshore wind farm in Poland. The developer secured around €2 billion of project finance, backed by the European Investment Bank, Spain’s Instituto de Crédito Oficial and a syndicate of 13–15 international and local commercial banks and hedge providers. This green project‑finance package enables full construction of BC‑Wind, Ocean Winds’ first Baltic Sea project, and confirms the project’s transition from development into the construction phase. The financing is structured as long‑term debt and is underpinned by the project’s 25‑year CfD revenue support.

As part of the BC‑Wind project’s circa €2 billion project‑finance package closed on 1 December 2025, the European Investment Bank (EIB) approved a major long‑term loan for the offshore wind farm. According to Ocean Winds, the EIB is contributing close to one third of the total project finance, alongside Spain’s Instituto de Crédito Oficial and 13 commercial banks. The EIB characterises the loan as supporting climate action, economic competitiveness and energy security in Poland. This development‑bank financing significantly de‑risks the BC‑Wind capital structure and exemplifies public financial support for the country’s first generation of offshore wind projects.

Project finance of around €2 billion was secured for BC-Wind from a consortium of lenders, including a €600 million loan from the European Investment Bank, with Ocean Winds announcing financial close on 1 December 2025. This completes the process of arranging external project financing with financial institutions acting as lenders.

On 28 August 2025 Ocean Winds concluded a contract with Tele-Fonika Kable for the onshore export cable system for BC-Wind. The Polish manufacturer will supply extra‑high‑voltage (EHV) land cables and accessories forming the approximately 8 km onshore cable section linking the sea‑land transition point in Choczewo municipality to the onshore substation. The agreement makes Tele-Fonika the primary supplier of the land export cable system, including EHV power cables, fibre‑optic cable and associated components, as part of a broader package awarded jointly with P&Q.

On 28 August 2025 Ocean Winds signed a contract with Polish companies P&Q and Tele-Fonika Kable to deliver the so‑called land cable trench (lądowa ława kablowa) and onshore export cable system for BC-Wind. The scope includes design, supply and installation of an approximately 8 km cable section linking the offshore export cable landfall in Choczewo municipality to the onshore substation, as well as provision of EHV power cables and related accessories. P&Q will lead design and construction of the land corridor, while Tele-Fonika will manufacture the cables. This package secures key Polish contractors for the onshore transmission link and strengthens local content in the project’s supply chain.

On 28 August 2025 Ocean Winds signed a contract with Polish companies P&Q and Tele-Fonika Kable to deliver the so‑called land cable trench (lądowa ława kablowa) and onshore export cable system for BC-Wind. The scope includes design, supply and installation of an approximately 8 km cable section linking the offshore export cable landfall in Choczewo municipality to the onshore substation, as well as provision of EHV power cables and related accessories. P&Q will lead design and construction of the land corridor, while Tele-Fonika will manufacture the cables. This package secures key Polish contractors for the onshore transmission link and strengthens local content in the project’s supply chain.

By 11 August 2025 a new seabed investigation campaign was underway for BC‑Wind, focused on detailed hydrographic and geophysical surveys to support monopile installation. Operating from the Port of Gdańsk, the survey vessel Mainport Edge, managed by Sulmara, was conducting high‑resolution investigations in the planned wind farm area to identify geological obstacles such as buried boulders down to 40 metres below the seabed. These works are intended to optimise foundation design, reduce installation risks and enhance long‑term structural safety ahead of offshore construction for the BC‑Wind project.

On 29 July 2025 Ocean Winds selected Siemens Gamesa as the turbine supplier for the BC-Wind project and signed conditional contracts for turbine supply and long‑term service. The agreement covers 26 SG 14‑236 offshore wind turbines, each with a nominal capacity of 14 MW and a Power Boost feature enabling up to 15 MW, giving a planned farm capacity of up to 390 MW. Installation and commissioning of the Siemens Gamesa machines are planned for 2028, with first power from BC-Wind also expected that year. The deal marks a major technology choice for the project and is a key milestone toward final investment decision and construction in the Polish Baltic Sea.

Together with the Siemens Gamesa turbine award in July 2025, Ocean Winds confirmed that Cadeler will undertake transportation and installation of the BC-Wind turbines. Cadeler will use its O‑class offshore installation vessels, working from Terminal T5 in the Port of Gdańsk, which will serve as the marshalling harbour for turbine pre‑assembly and load‑out. This contract secures a specialist installation contractor and vessel capacity for the turbine campaign, an important step in locking in construction logistics for the 26‑turbine, 390 MW project.

On 29 July 2025, Ocean Winds signed contracts with Siemens Gamesa for the BC-Wind offshore wind project that include not only the supply of SG 14‑236 offshore wind turbines but also a long-term service and maintenance agreement. The deal covers 26 turbines, each with a nominal capacity of 14 MW and a Power Boost capability up to 15 MW, and secures Siemens Gamesa as the provider of ongoing service and maintenance to support reliable performance over the project’s operational life. The agreement is conditional on a Notice to Proceed from Ocean Winds but represents a key maintenance-related milestone, locking in the future O&M contractor well ahead of first power, which is expected in 2028. BC‑Wind is located approximately 23 km north of the Krokowa and Choczewo municipalities in Poland’s Pomeranian Voivodeship and is planned at up to 390 MW capacity.

On 29 July 2025, Ocean Winds signed a conditional agreement with Siemens Gamesa for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm that includes not only the supply of 26 SG 14‑236 turbines but also a long-term service maintenance agreement to ensure reliability and optimal performance over the project’s operational life. The contract, which is subject to a Notice to Proceed from Ocean Winds, secures Siemens Gamesa as the turbine supplier and O&M service provider for the 390 MW project in the Polish Baltic Sea.

On 29 July 2025, Ocean Winds signed contracts with Siemens Gamesa for the BC-Wind offshore wind project that include not only the supply of SG 14‑236 offshore wind turbines but also a long-term service and maintenance agreement. The deal covers 26 turbines, each with a nominal capacity of 14 MW and a Power Boost capability up to 15 MW, and secures Siemens Gamesa as the provider of ongoing service and maintenance to support reliable performance over the project’s operational life. The agreement is conditional on a Notice to Proceed from Ocean Winds but represents a key maintenance-related milestone, locking in the future O&M contractor well ahead of first power, which is expected in 2028. BC‑Wind is located approximately 23 km north of the Krokowa and Choczewo municipalities in Poland’s Pomeranian Voivodeship and is planned at up to 390 MW capacity.

On 1 July 2025, the Regional Director of Environmental Protection in Gdańsk (RDOŚ Gdańsk) issued an amending Environmental Decision (Decyzja o środowiskowych uwarunkowaniach, DŚU) for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm under reference RDOŚ-Gd-WOO.420.89.2024.AM.7. The amendment modifies the original DŚU of 16 September 2022 (ref. RDOŚ-Gd-WOO.420.50.2021.KSZ.AM.10) issued for the "Morska Farma Wiatrowa BC-Wind" project. Under Polish DŚU practice for offshore wind, substantive amendments to the environmental decision re-emit as a fresh eia_approved event (not as a planning consent variation), since the DŚU sets the binding environmental conditions upstream of the building permit. The decision is immediately enforceable under Offshore Wind Promotion Act 2020 Art. 50-58. The bc-wind.pl document archive lists both the original July 2025 amending decision and a separately-issued supplement; the amending decision underpinned the issuance of building permits and the Final Investment Decision later in 2025.

In 2024 Ocean Winds concluded a major combined geophysical and geotechnical survey campaign for BC‑Wind. Lasting nearly twelve months, the programme covered both the offshore wind farm area and the export cable corridor within Poland’s Baltic Sea Exclusive Economic Zone. The geophysical work mapped seabed morphology and sub‑bottom structures, while the accompanying geotechnical investigations gathered detailed soil data. Completion of this campaign provided the high‑resolution ground model required to finalise foundation designs, cable routes and other key engineering decisions ahead of construction.

Alongside geophysical investigations, Ocean Winds completed an extensive geotechnical survey campaign for BC‑Wind in 2024. Over almost a year, geotechnical work in the offshore wind farm area and along the export cable corridor gathered detailed information on seabed soils and deeper strata. This followed earlier preliminary geological surveys finished in 2020 and provided the definitive dataset for foundation sizing, monopile drivability assessments and cable burial design. The completion of this integrated geophysical‑geotechnical campaign marked the transition from site investigation into final engineering for the 390 MW project.

In October 2024 Ocean Winds entered into a certification agreement with Bureau Veritas Polska for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm. Under this contract Bureau Veritas Polska will provide independent certification services covering the project, supporting compliance with relevant technical and safety standards as the wind farm progresses toward construction. Engaging a recognised certification body at this stage helps de‑risk design and execution, and is a key late‑development procurement step ahead of major equipment and installation contracts.

On 29 July 2024, the Regional Director of Environmental Protection in Gdańsk issued a positive Environmental Decision (Decyzja o środowiskowych uwarunkowaniach) for the transmission infrastructure of the BC-Wind offshore wind farm. The decision covers both offshore and onshore elements of the connection, namely about 33 km of subsea export cable and about 8 km of onshore cable from the Choczewo landfall to the new PSE 400 kV Choczewo substation, with the shore crossing executed by horizontal directional drilling (HDD). It is based on a detailed environmental impact report prepared by MEWO with Geomor and Marea, covering ornithology, chiropterology, marine mammals and a seabed archaeological survey. This DŚU is distinct from, and complements, the 2022 environmental decision covering the wind farm itself, completing the regulatory environmental-permitting envelope ahead of the building permits and Final Investment Decision later in 2025.

In 2023 Ocean Winds awarded a contract for the development of design documentation, including the building‑permit package, for the offshore export cables of the BC-Wind offshore wind farm. The scope covers preparing detailed technical designs and securing the associated construction permit for the subsea export cable system that will connect the offshore farm to shore. This late‑development milestone underpins subsequent permitting and procurement steps for the transmission system, ensuring that the export cable route and engineering meet Polish regulatory and technical requirements before construction. The contract is recorded by the project company as a 2023 key investment stage in the BC‑Wind project history.

In 2023, Ocean Winds converted its initial service-port arrangements into a full lease for BC-Wind’s long-term operations base in Władysławowo. The lease agreement secures port facilities that will host the offshore wind farm’s service base, including quay and onshore support areas. This dedicated O&M hub will support marine logistics, crew transfer, and maintenance activities once the 390 MW project is operational in the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone of the Baltic Sea.

On 13 December 2023, Wood Thilsted (WT) was appointed as FEED and detailed design wind turbine generator (WTG) foundation designer for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm, being developed by Ocean Winds off Poland. Under this contract, Wood Thilsted will complete the preliminary foundation designs for the up to 500 MW project, building on earlier concepts to define optimised foundations for the site’s conditions. The company’s role covers front-end engineering design (FEED) and subsequent detailed design work, helping to de-risk foundation engineering ahead of procurement and installation. The award reflects Ocean Winds’ strategy to engage a specialist foundation engineering consultant as BC-Wind progresses towards construction.

Ocean Winds awarded a cable route engineering and permitting contract for BC-Wind’s offshore export cables to Sea Global Pty Ltd, with PGNIG GAZOPROJEKT S.A. as Polish subcontractor. Signed on 17 May 2023, the agreement covers design documentation and support to obtain the construction permit for two 220 kV export circuits from the offshore substation to the landfall and onshore interface. The scope includes optimisation and detailed design of the marine cable route, shore crossings using guided drilling, cable protection concepts, electrical and thermal analyses, and tender support.

Ocean Winds took an early step to secure an operations and maintenance base for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm by signing an initial lease agreement for the service port in Władysławowo in 2022. This preliminary lease reserved quayside and associated facilities that will later host the project’s service base, supporting long-term O&M activities for the 390 MW wind farm in the Polish Baltic Sea. The agreement marks the start of a dedicated port strategy for BC-Wind’s lifecycle operations.

By 24 October 2022, the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Gdańsk had issued a positive Environmental Decision (Decyzja o środowiskowych uwarunkowaniach) for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm itself. The decision, obtained after comprehensive environmental studies starting in 2019, successfully completed the EIA process for the project area in the Baltic Sea about 23 km north of Choczewo and Krokowa. The DŚU sets binding environmental conditions for construction and operation, covering impacts on seabirds, bats, marine mammals, seabed features and water quality. Ocean Winds highlighted this as an important milestone bringing it significantly closer to delivering its first offshore wind farm in the Polish Baltic Sea and enabling subsequent permitting steps such as building permits.

In 2021, Ocean Winds submitted the main Environmental Impact Assessment dossier for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm to the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Gdańsk (RDOŚ Gdańsk). The submission comprised the environmental impact report and a formal request for an environmental decision (DŚU) covering the offshore project area in the Baltic Sea north of Choczewo and Krokowa. This filing initiated the statutory environmental permitting process for the wind farm itself, following several years of baseline surveys and wind measurements. The EIA submission was a prerequisite for RDOŚ to assess potential impacts on marine and avian species, underwater archaeology, and hydrological conditions and ultimately issue the environmental decision enabling subsequent building-permit and construction steps.

In 2021, Ocean Winds obtained a permit authorising the laying and maintenance of submarine cables for BC-Wind’s interconnection infrastructure. Granted alongside the submission of the main environmental dossier, this decision covered the subsea cable system linking the offshore wind farm to the onshore grid. The permit allowed the developer to plan and later execute cable installation works within Polish maritime areas, ensuring legal rights to install and operate the export cables required to evacuate power from the BC-Wind project to the National Electricity System. It formed a key regulatory milestone for the project’s transmission route, separate from the environmental decision for the wind farm itself.

By 2021 Ocean Winds had completed a two‑year wind measurement campaign at the BC‑Wind site. The long‑term measurements, started in 2019, provided high‑quality wind data over the 90.94 km² lease area in Poland’s Baltic Sea Exclusive Economic Zone. Completion of this campaign enabled detailed energy‑yield assessments and refined turbine layout and design assumptions, and it is cited by Ocean Winds as an important milestone alongside securing grid connection and the Contract for Difference (CfD) for the project.

On 31 August 2021, C-Wind Polska, the project company for BC-Wind, submitted an application to the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Gdańsk for an environmental decision (DŚU) covering the transmission infrastructure that will connect the offshore wind farm to Poland’s National Electricity System. This application initiated the separate EIA procedure for approximately 33 km of subsea export cable and about 8 km of onshore cable, as well as associated landfall works. By 2023, RDOŚ Gdańsk confirmed that proceedings were underway based on this 31 August 2021 application and that opinions had been requested from multiple authorities, underlining that the transmission EIA process for BC-Wind was formally in progress.

In mid‑2021, BC‑Wind secured its main revenue support mechanism under Poland’s Offshore Wind Promotion Act. The Polish Energy Regulatory Office (URE) awarded Ocean Winds’ BC‑Wind offshore wind farm a 25‑year Contract for Difference (CfD), providing long‑term price stabilisation for power generated by the project, which is planned at up to 390–500 MW in the Polish Baltic Sea. The CfD decision followed earlier milestones including grid connection conditions and agreement. Securing this CfD positions BC‑Wind among the first wave of Polish offshore wind projects and underpins bankability for subsequent project financing and construction.

Following the grant of grid connection conditions, Ocean Winds concluded a formal grid connection agreement for BC-Wind in March 2021. By signing this agreement with the Polish Power Grid (Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne, PSE S.A.), the developer secured firm access for the project’s output to the National Electricity System, locking in the connection point and key technical and commercial terms. This agreement, together with the previously obtained connection conditions, underpins later milestones such as the project’s 25-year Contract for Difference from the Energy Regulatory Office and subsequent financial close, enabling BC-Wind’s transition from development towards construction in Poland’s Baltic Sea.

In 2020, EDP Renewables and ENGIE formally created Ocean Winds as a 50-50 joint venture dedicated to offshore wind development, including the BC‑Wind project in Poland. The joint venture structure combines the offshore wind portfolios and expertise of both parent companies into a single developer, Ocean Winds, which acts as the exclusive owner and project company for BC‑Wind. This ownership arrangement underpins Ocean Winds’ role in contracting major suppliers, securing project finance, and leading construction for BC‑Wind in the Polish Baltic Sea.

In 2020 Ocean Winds completed preliminary geological investigations of the seabed for BC‑Wind. These early geotechnical surveys characterised subsurface conditions in the offshore lease area, providing information on soil and geological structures needed for the design of turbine monopile foundations and other offshore infrastructure. The completion of this preliminary campaign, carried out a year after environmental fieldwork began, gave the project its first detailed picture of ground conditions before more extensive geophysical and geotechnical campaigns were undertaken.

In September 2020, the Polish transmission system operator issued grid connection conditions for the BC-Wind offshore wind farm. This decision by Polish Power Grid (Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne, PSE S.A.) formally defined how up to 390–500 MW from BC-Wind will be integrated into the National Electricity System and under what technical parameters. Granting these conditions was a key regulatory milestone, enabling Ocean Winds to proceed with detailed design, environmental permitting and commercial structuring ahead of the grid connection agreement and Contract for Difference. The project is located about 23 km north of Krokowa and Choczewo in Poland’s Baltic Sea Exclusive Economic Zone and is developed solely by Ocean Winds, the 50-50 joint venture of EDP Renewables and ENGIE.

In 2019 Ocean Winds began environmental studies for the BC‑Wind offshore wind farm. These studies were launched to assess the environmental impact of the planned investment and formed the field‑survey basis for the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment. Work covered the offshore wind farm area and relevant onshore zones and contributed data on habitats, protected species and broader environmental conditions needed to support later permitting steps, including the environmental decision and construction consents.

In 2012 Ocean Winds secured the first seabed permit underpinning the BC‑Wind offshore wind farm, when it obtained a location decision described as a “permit for the construction of artificial islands” for the B‑Wind part of the project in Poland’s Baltic Sea. This decision granted rights to build and use artificial islands, structures and installations in the designated offshore area, effectively formalising the B‑Wind site as part of what is now the BC‑Wind project. Together with the later permit for the adjacent C‑Wind area, it established the full project footprint north of Krokowa and Choczewo in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.