Offshore wind, grids and energy storage in Poland: where the demand is for foreign suppliers in 2026

Polish offshore wind has moved from plans to operation. In July 2026 the Baltic Power wind farm (ORLEN 51%, Northland Power 49%) delivered first power to the grid (ORLEN). It is 1.1 GW with 76 Vestas 15 MW turbines. In October 2026 all 76 turbines were installed, more than a third are already generating, and commercial operation is expected in 2026 (Northland Power).

The next wave is already contracted. In its first auction in December 2025 Poland awarded 3.4 GW to three Baltic projects: Baltic East (ORLEN), Baltica 9 (PGE) and Bałtyk I (Polenergia and Equinor), under 25-year contracts for difference (CfD). First power from them is planned for December 2032 (Notes from Poland), with further auctions set for 2027, 2029 and 2031 (WindEurope).

The long-term target, set in law, is 18 GW of offshore wind by 2040 (Recharge). For a supplier this is not one project but an order pipeline running 15 years ahead.

Poland is deliberately building its own industrial base for wind, but it cannot cover everything on its own. That creates demand for foreign manufacturers and partners.

Vestas already assembles offshore turbine nacelles in Szczecin: the first Polish-built nacelles were installed at Baltic Power in November 2025 (offshoreWIND.biz). At the same time, Vestas put its second Szczecin factory, for blades, on hold in October 2025 because European demand was lower than expected (offshoreWIND.biz). WindEurope estimates that Polish companies can supply more than 40% of the supply chain for new projects (WindEurope); imports and joint ventures will cover the rest.

At the Polish-German Economic Forum, participants in the energy round table pointed out that the Polish and German supply chains complement each other: some components are made in Poland, others in nearby factories in Germany and Denmark. At the same time every market in the region is building at once, so key components and skilled people are in short supply.

1. Components

   Foundations, cables, substation equipment and specialist equipment that the local market lacks.

2. Service and installation

   Operation and maintenance of the farms coming online from 2026, and installation work onshore and in ports.

3. Joint ventures

   Localising part of production with a Polish partner to meet local content expectations.

Generation is growing faster than the grid can absorb it. The PSE transmission grid development plan for 2025-2034, agreed with the President of URE in December 2024, provides for more than PLN 64 billion of investment, 4,700 km of new 400 kV lines, 28 new substations and the upgrade of 110 existing ones, plus the evacuation of about 18 GW from offshore wind farms (PSE).

The cross-border side is growing too: PSE and the German operator 50Hertz have agreed to cooperate on a third interconnector between the two countries’ grids (PSE).

The other side is the connection queue. According to Modo Energy the total queue exceeds 240 GW, and real available capacity at 110 kV substations at the start of 2026 was zero (Modo Energy). For a foreign company this means checking connection conditions before promising a client any timeline.

Storage has become the most dynamic segment. Four capacity market auctions in 2022-2025 contracted about 5.1 GW of storage capacity for delivery in 2027-2030, which corresponds to at least 11 GW of physical batteries (Modo Energy).

The main buyers are developers holding capacity market contracts, generators that need flexibility, and industrial consumers. The NFOŚiGW fund has also supported 172 projects with PLN 4.15 billion, to be commissioned by 2028 (Modo Energy).

The more wind and solar on the system, the more batteries, thermal storage and fast data work matter. Price volatility then becomes a source of revenue rather than a cost. This is where demand for equipment, integrators and EPC contractors is highest.

The market does not need convincing that Poland’s energy transition will happen. It is already happening, and the money behind it is contracted. The question is who becomes a supplier in time.

1. Start with the buyer, not the product

   Define exactly who buys: a developer, an EPC contractor, a grid operator or an industrial consumer. Channel and price depend on it.

2. Check connection and regulation

   For storage and generation, connection conditions and URE requirements set timelines more than anything else.

3. Find a local partner

   Local content expectations in offshore wind make a partnership with a Polish company a competitive advantage.

4. Build relationships before the RFP

   Supplier decisions often take shape before the formal request for proposals. Those who arrive at the last minute compete on price alone.

We explain how to build that commercial presence in our article on hiring a head of sales in Poland, and we summarised the energy discussions in our report from the Polish-German Economic Forum 2026.