Last year, Vestas announced plans to build a plant in Skolwin, Szczecin, which was to specialize in the production of wind turbine blades, including the flagship V236-15MW model. The opening of the factory was scheduled for 2026, and the new facility was to employ over a thousand people. The decision to suspend the project, which was to be the largest Polish investment of the Danish concern, was made due to “lower than expected demand for offshore wind energy in Europe,” the company informed in an interview with the Financial Times.
The European offshore wind sector is currently struggling with a number of issues, including rising costs, supply chain bottlenecks and political obstacles, especially in the United States. According to data presented by “FT”, the European Union, Great Britain and Norway have set themselves an ambitious goal of achieving 129 GW of power from offshore wind farms by the end of this decade. However, forecasts by consulting firm TGS 4C indicate that Europe will only meet about 84 GW of this target, which means many projects may not come to fruition. An example is the failed auctions in Denmark and Germany, where no investors could be found over the last year.
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Despite the problems, offshore wind energy remains a key element of the Polish energy transformation strategy. Poland plans for projects such as Baltic Power to deliver 18 GW of offshore power by 2040, which is almost half of Europe's current production capacity in this sector. Baltic Power investment value, which is a joint venture of Orlen and the Canadian Northland Power, amounts to EUR 4.7 billion. The first offshore turbines in Poland, built using Vestas technology, are scheduled to start operating next year.
The decision to suspend the construction of the factory in Szczecin is another challenge for Vestas, which has already invested in Poland, establishing a nacelle assembly plant and purchasing a factory producing blades for land turbines. The plant in Skolwin was to be an important element of the company's strategy, being a key production center for turbine blades intended for the marine market.
