Topping Out Ceremony Held at GMU Centre for the Offshore Industry
Topping Out Ceremony Held at GMU Centre for the Offshore Industry. Agreement Signed with PGE Baltica for Environmental Tests for the Baltica 1 Offshore Wind Farm Project.
A wreath has been hung on the building of Gdynia Maritime University's Centre for the Offshore Industry, as part of a topping-out ceremony to mark the completion of the highest point of the building.
- We have completed the reinforced concrete, masonry construction works and installation of the steel structure of the warehouse," says Jakub Nagraba, Director of the General Construction Division of BUDIMEX S.A. - Window joinery and aluminium showcases are already being installed. The installation of the sanitary systems is in progress: heating and air conditioning, sewage pipes, hydrants, and ventilation. Next week, we plan to start installing the flush-mounted electrical system and electrical trays, added Jakub Nagraba.
As part of the ongoing second stage, Budimex has completed the reinforced concrete and masonry construction works, and the installation of partition walls has begun. The flush-mounted electrical and sanitary installations are also nearing completion. Next week, work will also begin on the building's elevation. Construction of the Centre is scheduled to be completed by mid-2023, with the move to the new GMU Maritime Institute headquarters to be completed by the end of next year.
The UMG Offshore Centre will be a research and education facility for the country's offshore wind energy sector, says Professor Adam Weintrit, Rector of Gdynia Maritime University. Our duty - as a maritime university - is to support the development of the offshore wind energy sector through teaching, scientific, training and advisory activities. We want to participate in the creation of a local, Polish supply chain for the offshore industry and we are doing all we can to make the Centre the nucleus of the "Polish Offshore Valley".
- Offshore energy and the offshore sector wouldn't exist without the injection of capital, but most of all, without the personnel involved. Thanks to the determination and constancy of His Magnificence the Rector and the scientific personnel at Gdynia Maritime University, Polish and foreign companies will have qualified professionals to ensure the provision of green energy to Poland and the European Union – commented Grzegorz Witkowski, the secretary of state in the Ministry of Infrastructure.
- Offshore technology is part of our Smart Specialisations for Pomerania programme - commented Pomeranian governor Mieczysław Struk. - The Centre for the Offshore Industry will allow Pomerania's maritime companies to strengthen their international competitiveness and accelerate their development by carrying out research and development, creating innovative products, services, and technologies for the environmentally friendly exploration and exploitation of marine resources.
The new Centre will be the headquarters of not only the Maritime Institute, but also the Offshore Wind Energy Centre, which will support the offshore industry through the education of management personnel, the contribution of current industry knowledge and integration of the offshore wind energy community. Beginning in March 2022, the University is currently running the first in Poland and second in the world Executive MBA programme for the offshore wind energy sector.
Thursday's ceremony also provided a fitting opportunity for the symbolic signing of an agreement between Gdynia Maritime University, MEWO S.A. and PGE Baltica. The agreement concerns the conduction of environmental tests for the Baltica 1 Offshore Wind Farm Project.
- The PGE Group is placing a lot of importance on the inclusion of Polish entities in the development of offshore wind farms. For this reason, I am glad to hear that the Baltic 1 project will benefit from the experience of our national partners. We have already worked with the Pomeranian company MEWO on environmental studies related to the Baltica Offshore Wind Farm, and we are cooperating with the Maritime University of Gdynia in the education of personnel for the Polish offshore wind sector - says Piotr Dziubałtowski, PGE Baltica's Deputy CEO for Operations.
- The dynamic development of wind energy may prove to be a driving force for the University, but also in many areas of the national economy. The agreement signed with PGE Baltica is one of the largest in the history of the university. We will be in a position to make use of the wide range of competencies and experience of University staff – commented GMU Rector Professor Adam Weintrit. - The contractual requirements have brought forward investment in specialist equipment for the Maritime Institute - added the Rector.
The Offshore Centre in numbers:
- Two two-storey buildings of a combined 5,500 m2
- warehouse facilities for equipment and measurement devices 440m2 (7.5m high)
- laboratories, office space, workshops, and social facilities.
- around 200 workstations,
- direct access to 500m of the Wisłoujście coast, of which 200m is loading dock space.
The value of the Offshore Centre investment, including the equipment, is estimated at 50m PLN. The project is co-financed by the Regional Operation Programme for Pomerania 2014-2020, which receives funding from the European Regional Development Fund. The GMU Centre for the Offshore Industry will open its doors for the first time in June 2023.
