25

April - 2024

Brussels

Keeping the momentum after publishing the first Offshore Network Development Plan (ONDP) in January 2024, this workshop brought together more than 20 experts from academia, industry, civil society and policymaking to explore and discuss the future of Europe's offshore renewable energy.

To meet decarbonisation targets, Europe needs to greatly accelerate renewable energy sources, which will be sited and implemented on land and on European seas. The offshore targets based shared by the EU Member States amount to 354 GW installed offshore capacities by 2050. This massive scale up of offshore renewables deployment requires an understanding of the infrastructure needs and how the system shall be designed to use available resources in an optimised way.

Addressing these needs and gaps, RGI organised another Modellers’ Exchange Workshop entitled “Turning the tide – Optimising Europe’s Offshore Energy Future with Holistic Planning and Engagement”.

Bringing different modelling and system planning experts together, the workshop aimed at facilitating a comprehensive understanding of the strategic identification of suitable offshore areas for energy infrastructure development. Throughout the agenda, discussions also sought to explore the different technological options for optimised offshore grid deployment, taking into account time constraints.

Promoting transparency and collaboration in data and modelling efforts to enhance decision-making processes, the sessions also addressed benefits and drawbacks of offshore and onshore hydrogen production to maximise efficiency and minimise environmental impact in the energy transition.

Based on the presented input, different solutions have been discussed among the workshop’s participants:

Enhancing modelling capabilities for future offshore network planning, including tools and techniques used to model offshore energy systems. Advanced modelling can help in understanding the dynamics of energy production, transmission, and consumption, facilitating better decision-making in planning future offshore networks.
Utilising visual tools to help stakeholders visualise potential locations for offshore infrastructure projects. Tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or interactive maps can aid in identifying suitable sites, assessing environmental impacts, and integrating offshore projects into existing maritime spatial plans.
Promoting cross-sectoral integration for optimisation. Coordinating activities across different sectors such as energy, transportation, and environment can maximise synergies and minimise conflicts.
Addressing spatial requirements and scarcity within planning processes. By conducting spatial analysis and considering scarcity factors, planners can identify optimal locations for infrastructure deployment and minimise resource constraints.

In the upcoming months, RGI will continue its involvement into the debates related to the European grid planning process, including offshore grid networks.

Participant organisations

50Hertz
Agora Energiewende
Artelys
Copenhagen School of Energy Infrastructure
Center of the Study of Democracy (CSD)
Dutch Research Institute for Transition (DRIFT)
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
ENTSO-E
Gasunie
Hitachi Energy
Open Energy Transition
Orsted
Reiner Lemoine Institute
Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI)
Scottish and Southern Electricity Network (SSEN) Transmission
TenneT
TransitionZero
TU Berlin
TU Delft
TU Dresden
Wind Europe

Agenda

9:30	Registration and coffee
10:00	Welcome, agenda, objectives, setting scene
Session 1: Approaches to model the offshore energy
10:10	Keynote: European offshore network transmission infrastructure needs – the ONDP results Francesco Celozzi, ENTSO-E
10:30	Modelling offshore grid systems Sebastian Porras Aparicio, Hitachi Energy Modelling offshore wind systems Riccardo Longo, WindEurope
11:10	Discussion
11:40	Coffee break
Session 2: Addressing spatial challenges of the offshore infrastructure
11:55	Planning the offshore energy infrastructure that supports the decarbonization of the European energy system. How can technologically and spatially explicit energy modeling contribute? Jann Launer, TU-Delft Form follows function? Dualism between maritime spatial planning and the future offshore grid Felix Jakob Fliegner, TU Dresden, 50Hertz The impact of spatial scale on offshore expansion in electricity system optimisation models Dr. Martha Frysztacki, Open Energy Transition
12:45	Discussion
13:15	Lunch break
Session 3: Enhancing optimisation via cross-sectoral integration
14:15	Offshore power and hydrogen networks for Europe’s North Sea Philipp Glaum, TU Berlin Going offshore or not: Where to generate hydrogen? Matti Koivisto, DTU TSO perspective on offshore cross-sectoral integration Tobias Frohmajer, TenneT
15:05	Discussion
15:30	Wrap up and outlook

Summary Report

All statements in this document have been summarised by Renewables Grid Initiative based on the common understanding of the discussions carried out at the workshop. The opinions expressed in this document shall not be used to reflect the views of specific participants. You can access the expert presentations below.

Access here the Summary Report