In Poland, offshore wind turbines will serve as advanced surveillance towers

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The Baltic Sea has become an area of tension, particularly since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Drones, cable sabotage, and underwater incidents have been on the rise since the Nord Stream explosions. To protect itself, Poland has come up with an original idea: transforming its offshore wind farms into surveillance tools.

The Baltic Power project, developed by the public group Orlen and the Canadian company Northland Power, is the first example of this. Scheduled for completion in 2026, it will have 76 wind turbines capable of powering 1.5 million homes. Each mast will be equipped with radars and sensors capable of detecting the movements of drones, suspicious vessels, or maritime incursions more than 20 km from the Polish coast.

Warsaw is keeping the technologies used secret, but the military authorities are directly involved in the project. The goal is to create a new layer of surveillance to complement land-based radars. Unlike Sweden, which has suspended several wind farm projects to avoid interference with its defenses, Poland has integrated these military functions into the design from the outset, circumventing the risk of interference. The wind turbines thus become sentinels.

This combination of energy transition and national security is exciting NATO. The alliance had already dreamed of using oil platforms as observation posts. Wind turbines, already equipped with weather sensors, offer a less expensive and more environmentally friendly alternative. According to the Foundation for Strategic Research, this model could inspire other European countries, provided that sensitive issues are resolved: who controls the data? Who maintains the equipment? Who finances it?

In the context of Russia's hybrid warfare, Warsaw intends to take advantage of its decarbonization needs to strengthen its defensive posture. Located less than 200 km from Kaliningrad, the Baltic Power park supports Poland's strategy of reducing “gray areas” in the Baltic Sea, where Europe remains vulnerable. L’Express

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