TotalEnergies ties up with Polish miner to bid into gigascale Baltic offshore wind play
French energy giant sets up partnership with state-owned KGHM to bid for share of new seabed development zones off eastern European country that jointly could reach 10GW
International energy giant TotalEnergies has tied up with Polish state-owned mining group KGHM to bid for the right to develop new seabed areas that could add up to 10GW in addtional offshore wind capacity in the Eastern European nation.
The 50:50 partnership, which has its sights set on the imminent eleven zone application process in the Polish Baltic Sea, aims to marry TotalEnergies extensive offshore project experience with KGHM’s regional market and supply chain knowledge.
“The development of offshore wind contributes both to the Europe’s energy transition and supply security. With favourable weather conditions, Poland is particularly well positioned to participate in the growth of this promising market,” said TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné.
“Together [with KGHM], we will mobilise all our expertise to meet the challenges of these projects and thus contribute to Poland's renewable energy goals.”
A contract for difference (CfD) tender for the additional zones is slated to be held at a later stage, after permits for the new zones have been obtained
The Polish government is currently considering to raise its offshore wind target - which so far has been set at close to 11GW by 2040 - as part of an update to its energy transition strategy (PEP2040) that had been approved last year.
Marcin Chludziński, president of the KGHM Polska Miedź management board, said: “In KGHM’s strategy we declared the achievement of climate neutrality by 2050. We are past the stage of planning and are involved in concrete actions.
“Cooperation with a French partner on an offshore wind farm project appears to be highly promising.”
Should they win acreage in the Polish offshore wind seabed allocation process, the two companies said they would “mobilise best resources to develop projects to the highest standards and delivery times, with a high level of local content, boosting the local industry, creating jobs in Poland and contributing to the supply of green electricity at a competitive price”.
TotalEnergies has been gearing up its transition into offshore wind, with its project portfolio stretching from the US Atlantic, through the UK and France, to Taiwan now at over 10GW, of which two-thirds are bottom-fixed and one-third floating.
The oil supermajor has also been qualified to bid in competitive tenders in the US, UK and France, and is planning to participate in tenders in Norway and Poland.