National Contact Point for Renewable Energy Sources

The possibility of locating offshore wind power plants is significantly more limited compared to onshore wind power plants. In Poland, offshore wind farms may only be located within the exclusive economic zone. This means a minimum distance of 12 nautical miles (approximately 22 km) from the shoreline.

The legal act that enables verification of areas where offshore wind farms may be located is the PZPPOM. This plan identifies maritime areas whose primary function is the generation of energy from renewable sources.

It is worth noting that Annexes 1 and 2 to the Act on Promoting Electricity Generation in Offshore Wind Farms specifically define the areas for the deployment of offshore wind farms, in relation to which producers may apply for the right to cover the negative balance. These areas fall within the zones designated in the PZPPOM as having the primary function of renewable energy generation and cover a total of 2,310.8 km². Their distribution is located in the regions of the Słupsk Bank, Central Bank, and Odra Bank.

Another important factor is the depth of the waters. Offshore wind installations can be divided into those placed in shallow coastal waters and those installed at greater depths. In the maritime area of the Republic of Poland, only the latter type of wind power plants is present, which requires the construction of artificial islands for wind turbines.