Together we support the Pomeranian Centre of Competence for Marine Renewable Energy

Polenergia Group, together with Equinor and the Municipality of Rumia and Rumia Invest Park, signed a Letter of Intent expressing willingness to cooperate within the Pomeranian Centre of Competence for Marine Renewable Energy. The parties declare their will to strengthen the labour market necessary for the effective development of offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea.

The signing ceremony of the Letter of Intent took place on 19 October 2022 at the premises of the Social Integration Club in Rumia. The agreement sets out the parties' activities in various areas of cooperation related to the broadly defined education of children, young people and adults within the Pomeranian Centre of Competence for Offshore Renewable Energy.

"When developing such projects, some of the most important success factors are people and their competences. The cooperation we are entering into with the Rumia Invest Park company is important in building the human resources base for these projects, which are important from the point of view of Poland's energy security. This is why we want to support the training of high-class specialists for the offshore wind energy industry that is being established in Poland," - says Michał Kołodziejczyk, CEO of Equinor Poland.

"Rumia Invest Park will be one of the key partners of the Offshore Competence Academy, one of the five flagship projects supporting the development of local content in offshore wind farm projects. As part of the Academy, we will conduct and promote activities aimed at developing competent personnel for the new industry sector of offshore wind energy. We invite anyone wishing to develop similar education and training initiatives from across the country to work with us. We want to support such projects in terms of content, promotion and organisation," announces Maciej Stryjecki, Director for Offshore Wind Energy at Polenergia Group.

The parties to the agreement agreed that activities that develop skills and broaden competences of children, young people and adults will significantly influence the positive perception and involvement of the local community in the offshore wind sector. Any cooperation within the framework of the second Flagship Programme, i.e. the Academy of Offshore Competence, is a right step towards the development of the human resource potential of the Polish offshore sector.

"Renewable energy is key, something we have been saying for many years and we are preparing very strongly as a local government for the climate and energy transition in Rumia. We want it to be ours and local residents who have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to work in the offshore industry. Therefore, we are cooperating with various entities and entrepreneurs, and the signed Letter is another step in this direction. From our side, we provide full support and mobilisation to implement these projects together." - declares Michał Pasieczny, Mayor of the City of Rumia.

"In order to prepare an excellent professional workforce for offshore wind energy, it is worth arousing interest in the offshore sector from an early age, through play and building public awareness, and then through education with a special focus on technical schools. All education, training and training activities should also be coordinated from the outset. The Pomeranian Competence Centre in Rumia fits perfectly into such a role and the needs of Pomerania, which is naturally linked to the maritime economy, with the full acceptance and assistance of the town's authorities headed by Mayor Michał Pasieczny." - emphasises Agnieszka Rodak, CEO of Rumia Invest Park.

Thanks to the cooperation with sector leaders, Rumia wants, among other things, to develop an educational programme for young people from Pomeranian secondary schools, and then to realise a training ground on the city's investment land and create a concept for the development of the area intended for the construction of the headquarters of the Pomeranian Centre of Competence for Marine Renewable Energy. Despite the lack of premises, the Centre has already carried out, among other things, offshore workshops for pupils in grade 8 of primary schools in Rumia. These school meetings were co-organised by the Polenergia Group and Equinor Poland.