Bergen, Norway

Offshore workshop - stakeholders' perspectives on offshore grids and the marine environment

In March, the European Parliament and Council have adopted the ‘Regulation on Guidelines for Trans-European Energy Infrastructure’. This legislation is another step towards the European objective of an internal energy market which will support the integration of renewable energies and promote the interconnection of energy networks. Integral part of the legislation is the identification of ‘Projects of Common Interest’ (PCIs) which will be subject to a European permitting regime and eligible for European funding. Many of the projects that are proposed for the first list of PCIs are subsea cables. The implementation of these projects will thus be another building block towards an expansion of offshore grid infrastructure in Europe, and towards improved international cooperation to achieve this.

Even though grids to connect offshore wind farms and interconnectors to link national energy markets with each other are currently being planned or implemented in a variety of European countries, the experience of project planners, authorities, governments and NGOs is low in comparison to onshore planning procedures. Questions and uncertainties about the what, when and how of the offshore grid infrastructure remain to be answered. 

Agenda

Wednesday, 26 June

19:00 Welcome reception in Bergen

 

Thursday, 27 June - Bergen 

09:00 Registration and coffee

09:15 Welcome
Antonella Battaglini | RGI 
Tor Eigil Hodne | Statnett

09:30 The North Sea and the European offshore expansion – setting the scene:
the interconnector project Norway-UK

Thor Anders Nummedal | Statnett
Mark Pearce | National Grid

10:00 The need case: why do we need offshore grids?
Einar Wilhelmsen | Zero | Presentation
Erlend Draget | WWF Norway | Presentation
Ivan Scrase | RSPB | Presentation

10:30 Overview: where do we stand? What is built, what is planned? 
Including overview of marine spatial planning
Theresa Schneider | RGI | Presentation

11:00 Break

11:30 Environmental impacts of offshore grids
Hans-Ulrich Rösner | WWF | Presentation

12:00 Challenges and good practice of permitting regimes

Offshore interconnectors  - Results of the Twenties project
Jos Spits, TenneT | Presentation

Streamlining environmental legislation
Martina Doppelhammer | DG Energy | Presentation 
Fotios Papoulias | DG Environment | Presentation

13:00 Lunch

14:00 Small discussion groups - Vision exercise: what should be done to overcome current barriers of offshore grid expansion? Which questions need to be answered?

15:00 Case studies: NORD.LINK cable
Maarten Abbenhuis | TenneT
Bjorn Sanden | Stattnet | Presentation

15:30 Break

16:00 Nord Stream – Stakeholder Management for a transboundary gas offshore project
Jens Müller | Nord Stream | Presentation

16:30 Engaging stakeholders in the planning stage – Learnings from Oslo and Hardanger Irene Meldal | Statnett
Julie Evensen | Statnett | Presentation

17:00 What are the lessons from Nord Stream, Oslo, and the Hardanger case and how can they be applied for offshore projects (especially for landfall points)?

 

Friday, 28 June - Hardanger Fjord

8:30 Excursion to the grid development project in the Hardanger fjord
including stops at several sights in the area and a detailed elaboration on the Hardanger case by Statnett

12:00 Lunch

15:00 End of the workshop - Arrival at Bergen Airport

Summary

Photo gallery

Contact

Theresa Schneider
Senior Manager–Communication

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t: +49 30 7677194 55
theresa@renewables-grid.eu

RGI gratefully acknowledges the EU LIFE funding support:

EU LIFE funding support Logo

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the LIFE Programme. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.