Steel structures for wind farms in the Baltic Sea will be built by Spaniards. Orlen is placed in the position of an economic vassal that meets the demands of Western corporations, instead of minding our business – they alarmed in June in a letter to the Prime Minister and President of Orlen trade unionists from the Inter-Enterprise Organization of NSZZ “Solidarity” in the Gdańsk Shipyard.
They pointed out that the international consortium Bladt/Semco, which builds wind farms for Orlen’s Baltic Power delays in commissioning the works Gdańsk Shipyard and Elektromontaż-Północ from Gdynia (companies from the Baltic Industrial Group). Last year, Bladt/Semco won a tender for the construction of power stations for Baltic Power.
Without these orders, according to the trade unions, shipyards employing half a thousand people were threatened with group redundancies.
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See also: Statistica: Schengen Area and Euro
The government bends over the shipyard
Officials from the Prime Minister’s Office informed the shipyard workers that Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had instructed the Minister of State Assets, Jacek Sasin, to deal with their case. The president of Orlen also sent them an official reply.
Daniel Obajtek apologizes to the unions for the delay in responding to their June letter. He explains that this was due to intensive negotiations between the Baltic Industrial Group and Bladt. It also ensures that the fate of the Polish shipbuilding industry and the so-called local content (i.e. national contribution to the project) is very close to him.
He reminds that both Orlen and Baltic Power are signatories of the Sector Deal, i.e. an agreement aimed at building the Polish offshore industry in which the share of domestic production is to be from 20 to 30 percent. the entire value of the project.
As for the work that the Gdańsk Shipyard can perform, the president of Orlen indicates that Bladt – as the main contractor of the work – is responsible for the supply chain, including the contracting of the shipyard. And Baltic Power – as the contractor for these works – has no influence on their selection.
As Daniel Obajtek emphasizes, Bladt had doubts whether Elektromontaż-Północ would be able to cope with this order. He pointed to the economic situation in the company and delays in the implementation of another contract it was carrying out.
After these signals Baltic Power changed the financial terms and schedule of works in the contract with Bladt so that Polish companies could carry out the order.
We asked the management board of the Baltic Industrial Group to refer to the information provided to shipyard workers by the president of Orlen and we asked about the condition of the shipyard. In response, we received a brief message that they are conducting confidential trade talks that are covered by trade secrets and cannot disclose any details.
The shipyard workers are waiting for the contract
The chairman of the Inter-Enterprise Committee of NSZZ “Solidarity” of the Gdańsk Shipyard, Karol Guzikiewicz, believes that Orlen’s written declaration is a good signalbut the shipyard workers are eagerly awaiting the agreement with Bladt.
Why are they so worried about this contract? As Guzikiewicz says, Orlen did not secure the parity of Polish companies in the competition conditions. Why didn’t he? Because he couldn’t. This would be contrary to EU law.
Rafał Zahorski, plenipotentiary of the Marshal of the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship for maritime economy, points to one more important issue: Polish companies are being eliminated from the offshore business because they do not have enough experience, technology, know-how, contacts in this industry and competent people. We are just starting out in this industry.
Huge sums are at stake. Producing one gigawatt from wind in the Baltic Sea costs PLN 13 billion. Companies building offshore wind structures are an elite, closed club that is not so easy to get to.
We lack staff and strategy
– Before a company is allowed to operate offshore, it must go through many procedures – the so-called prequalification. It is a tedious and costly process, emphasizes Zahorski.
This is also confirmed by Piotr Jermakow, head of Jermak Offshore Marine Services, who has been working in the offshore industry for almost 30 years. – A company applying for an offshore order must 99 percent cases pass the tender verification – says our interlocutor.
He adds that each of the potential clients usually defines its own criteria and requirements before each tender. It is investigated, among others the company’s turnover, fixed assets, real estate assets – this is in case the principal has something to collect any claims from.
Companies are also checked in terms of their construction experience – how long have they been on the market, what have they done, what technologies do they use. Qualifications and the number of design and construction personnel are also checked, as well as whether health and safety conditions are observed.
As Karol Guzikiewicz admits, there are no schools or faculties in Poland that would educate staff to work in the offshore business. Although working in this industry is extremely lucrative and tempting.
Together with offshore, 30 new professions will come to Poland. Many young people are looking for a job offshore because there are new technologies. Over 5,000 people came to our last job fair dedicated to offshore – says a trade unionist.
Will good intentions and enthusiasm for work alone be enough to work with international sharks?
According to Yermakov, leading Polish companies – such as shipyards and other contractors – have good or very good design and construction staff.
– Large companies, such as shipyards, also have good staff managing individual projects, but they may most often have deficiencies in the proper presentation of the management system, occupational safety and environmental protection management – he adds.
He emphasizes that every Polish company that wants to enter the offshore it must raise its standards to those accepted in the world as soon as possible. This is done e.g. through training and construction of modern management systems as well as appropriate selection of staff.
In any case, inserting into the company does not help here party nominees or cousins and aunts – emphasizes our interlocutor.
He also adds that you can take shortcuts by selecting the right people from the international market and commissioning the preparation of consulting procedures to external companies.
– There is always a risk of significant staff fluctuation here, if we are unable to provide these people with the contract conditions they expect. On the other hand, you can also easily and quickly get rid of such people when they are no longer needed. Many companies operate this way.
According to him, the worst way out is to give orders for specific works, the so-called partners, i.e. the method adopted by Orlen and PGE.
– In this way, as a company, we do not gain either knowledge, experience or people, who are always the greatest capital of any major company – our interlocutor concludes.
Katarzyna Bartman, money.pl journalist
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2023-07-19 16:40:14
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