Offshore Electricity Infrastructure in Europe - European Wind Energy ...

1.2 Objective of OffshoreGrid
To answer these questions, the OffshoreGrid project
consortium developed a scientific view on an offshore
grid along with a suitable regulatory framework that
considers technical, economic and policy aspects.
The study is designed to serve as background and
supporting documentation for the preparation of further
regulatory, legislative and policy measures. In
particular, the outcomes are intended to provide input
for the work on infrastructure by the European Union
as outlined in the Second Strategic Energy Review,
namely the Baltic Interconnector Plan, the Blueprint
for a North Sea Offshore Grid and the completion of
the Mediterranean ring [22] 4 .
The OffshoreGrid study fulfils the following strategic
objectives:
• provide recommendations on methods for decisions
on topology and dimensioning of an offshore
grid in Northern Europe,
• provide guidelines for investment decision and
project execution,
• trigger a coordinated approach for offshore wind
connections with the Mediterranean ring.
Related to its specific objectives, the project provides
the following:
• representative wind power time series,
• a selection of blueprints for an offshore grid,
• insight into the interaction of design drivers and
techno-economic parameters,
• analysis of the stakeholder requirements.
The OffshoreGrid study is the first detailed assessment
of this kind to give guidelines for the development of
an efficient offshore grid design and is targeted towards
European policy makers, industry, transmission
system operators and regulators.
4 The draft final report published in 2010 has already provided input to the European Commission for the Communication on ‘Energy
Infrastructure Priorities for 2020 and Beyond’ [23].
5 The results have been applied to the Mediterranean region in qualitative terms. Although the potential for offshore wind energy is
lower in the Mediterranean region than in Northern Europe, an in-depth analysis of the regional framework for offshore grids and
electricity interconnection infrastructure is important, taking into account the need for interconnectivity and the long-term expectations
for floating offshore wind turbines and solar thermal power in the region. More on this can be found in Annex E.
OffshoreGrid – Final Report
1.3 Methodology & approach
The techno-economic assessment is based on extensive
market and grid modelling of the entire European
power system accompanied by qualitative investigations
of the political, legal and regulatory framework.
In the preparatory phase, input scenarios on power
generation capacity, electricity demand, commodity
prices, grid development etc. were developed. A special
focus was put on offshore wind power scenarios,
where time series were developed with high temporal
and spatial resolution. For other marine renewables
and power demand from offshore oil and gas industry
installations, estimates have been made based on literature.
The plausibility of the scenarios was checked
by extensive assessment of the political and regulatory
environment in all relevant member states.
In the modelling phase the input from the preparatory
phase was used in a variety of techno-economic investigations.
As a first step, different assessments for
individual modules of an offshore grid – such as hub
connections, tee-in solutions, hub-to-hub solutions –
were carried out with a detailed cost-benefit analysis.
In the second step an overall grid design was developed
through an iterative process.
The approach described above was carried out for
Northern Europe (the regions around the Baltic Sea
and the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish
Sea). This allowed the determination of an efficient
offshore grid design supplemented by generic grid design
rules for the North Sea region 5 .
1.4 Stakeholders
To assess, plan and build an offshore grid is clearly
a multi-stakeholder process. From the very beginning
the offshore grid consortium fostered an intensive exchange
with the relevant stakeholders from politics,
economics, industry and nature conservation.
19