TenneT, through its Dutch and German subsidiaries, will be joining hands with Danish firm Energinet.dk to develop a large-scale wind energy system in the North Sea.

An agreement in this regard will be signed by the trio of European transmission system operators (TSO) on 23 March at Brussels, Belgium.

By building the hub, TenneT and Energinet.dk are looking to make the energy transition feasible and affordable.

Core to the plan is to establish one or more islands called as Power Link Islands in the middle of the North Sea, on the Dogger Bank. The islands, with interconnections to surrounding countries, are expected to facilitate connection of many wind farms. 

TenneT CEO Mel Kroon said: “This project can significantly contribute to a completely renewable supply of electricity in Northwest Europe. TenneT and Energinet.dk both have extensive experience in the fields of onshore grids, the connection of offshore wind energy and cross-border connections.

“TSOs are best placed to play a leading role in the long-term development of the offshore infrastructure.”

The wind farms that can be connected are possibly in the range of 70GW to 100GW as per TenneT. Power generated from these will be distributed and transmitted via direct electric lines to the North Sea countries of Belgium, Netherlands, the UK, Germany, Denmark and Norway.

Energinet.dk CEO Peder Østermark Andreasen said: “Offshore wind has in recent years proved to be increasingly competitive and it is important to us to constantly focus on further reduction in prices of grid connections and interconnections.

“We need innovative and large-scale projects so that offshore wind can play an even bigger part in our future energy supply.”

A vision to build North Sea Wind Power Hub was revealed by TenneT in June last year. 

With discussions being held with other potential partners, the project is expected to see participation from other North Sea TSOs and infrastructure firms.

Image: An illustration of the proposed Power Link Island in the North Sea. Photo: courtesy of TenneT Holding B.V.