The North Seas Countries' Offshore Grid Initiative - Initial ... - Benelux

unit level). These nodes are connected by interconnectors with limited transfer
capacities.
The market models delivered results on the "market flows", i.e. the electricity flows
across Europe caused by market signals and the merit order (as well as the
aggregated production of each primary resource, CO emissions, imports/ exports,
2
marginal production costs etc.).
3. From these "market flows", market needs for grid expansion were developed, both,
on- and offshore. This information, together with the countries’ offshore wind
power production developments was used order to develop the "conceptual
offshore grid designs". Two designs were developed: a radial and an integrated
(“meshed”) one (see high level principle). These conceptual designs were
developed based on the expected available technology, as described in the
"Offshore Transmission Technology Report 11 ".
4. After developing the conceptual offshore grid designs, the resulting physical flows
and the effect on the onshore systems was investigated by grid calculations. At
this stage the location of both the conventional power plants as well as the
renewable power input must be taken into account because the location of a power
plant in the grid defines the physical flow and thus, the physical need for grid
expansion.
Several iterations were needed in the course of the study, for example if the impact on the
on-shore grid leads to reconsider the offshore grid design.
At the end of this process, an overall socio-economic cost-benefit analysis of the grid
designs was carried out, including a new assessment of benefits from the market model.
The grid development obtained for the radial and meshed configurations were compared.
The details of this procedure are described below.
11
https://www.entsoe.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/_library/publications/entsoe/SDC/European_offshore_
grid_-_Offshore_Technology_-_FINALversion.pdf
Page7-3