Poland's first Baltic sea wind farm tests onshore power route
Poland's first Baltic sea wind farm tests onshore power route WARSAW, July 10 (Reuters) - Poland's nearly completed offshore wind farm is testing the power lines to a new substation inland, a milestone in the country's effort to cut reliance on coal-fired electricity sources.
The 1.2-gigawatt Baltic Power project of state-controlled oil refiner Orlen PKN.WWA and Canada's Northland Power is part of 6 GW of offshore capacity that investors including Equinor and Orsted are set to build along the Polish coast by 2030.
Baltic Power is expected to generate approximately 4 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power more than 1.5 million Polish households.
Poland is prioritizing offshore wind as it phases out coal power, with nuclear energy years away and its proximity to Russia speeding the drive for energy independence.
The 530 million zloty ($140 million) Choczewo substation is part of a plan to build 4,700 km (2,900 miles) of high-voltage lines to help send renewable and nuclear output from the north to more industrialized southern parts of Poland.
($1 = 3.7916 zlotys)
(Reporting by Marek Strzelecki; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
((Marek.Strzelecki@thomsonreuters.com;))
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