The North Sea Offshore Grid, officially the North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative (NSCOGI), was a collaboration between EU member-states and Norway to create an integrated offshore

energy grid An electrical grid is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents. It consists of:Kaplan, S. M. (2009). Smart Grid. Electrical Power ...

which links wind farms and other

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

sources across the northern seas of Europe. It is one of several proposed European super grid schemes. Since 2016, the cooperation has been integrated into the new Political Declaration on energy cooperation between the North Seas Countries.

History

The North Sea Offshore Grid was proposed by the European Commission in the Second Strategic Energy Review, published in November 2008. The initiative was identified as one of the six priority energy infrastructure actions of the European Union. According to the European Commission, the North Sea Offshore Grid should become one of the building blocks of a future European super grid. The political declaration of the North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative was signed on 7 December 2009 at the European Union Energy Council. The declaration was signed by the EU members Germany, United Kingdom, France, Denmark,

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and Luxembourg, as well as Norway. The European Commission planned to publish a "Blueprint for a North Sea Grid" in 2010.Jan De Decker, Achim Woyte
4 offshore grid scenarios for the North and Baltic Sea
''Offshoregrid.eu'', July 2010. Retrieved: 24 August 2010.

Description

Electricity would be transmitted via high-voltage direct current cables, allowing it to be sold and exchanged in all involved countries. It would also make it easier to optimise energy production, and make the system overall less susceptible to the climate; Norway's hydroelectric power plants could act as a "giant battery", storing the power produced and releasing it at peak times, or when wind strength is low. Several high-voltage direct current interconnectors such as the North Sea Link between Norway and Britain (operational since 2021) have been seen as integral parts of the project.

Significance

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources for the Government of Ireland, Eamon Ryan, said of the initiative:

Studies

A techno-economic study into the North Sea Offshore Grid, has been set up within the European Union's Intelligent Energy Europe programme, to consider the technical, economic, policy and regulatory aspects of the possible grid, focused on the North Sea and Baltic region. Belgium is building a national modular offshore grid, connecting several wind farms for common transfer of power onto land at Zeebrugge, near the Nemo Link to England.

Support

Friends of the Supergrid ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

, a group of companies and organisations interested in promoting the concept and influencing the development of a super grid within Europe, has taken an interest in the North Sea Grid proposals. The organisation has proposed that Phase I of the supergrid should integrate the UK's North Sea renewables with interconnections to Germany and Norway.A European Supergrid
Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, published September 2011, accessed 3 October 2011

References

External links

www.benelux.int/nscogi
– Official website
Political declaration on the North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative
(PDF)
Signing ceremony of the political declaration on the North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative
(video) {{Energy in the United Kingdom, sources Electrical interconnectors in the North Sea Proposed energy projects Proposed electric power infrastructure in Europe Electric power transmission systems in Europe Electric power transmission systems in Germany Electric power infrastructure in Sweden Electric power infrastructure in Denmark Electric power infrastructure in France Electric power infrastructure in the Netherlands Renewable energy in Germany Renewable energy in the Netherlands Renewable energy in the United Kingdom Renewable energy in the Republic of Ireland Renewable energy in France Renewable energy in Denmark Renewable energy in Sweden