Offshore Energy Islands/Hubs

Offshore energy hubs are a hot topic in the energy sector. Governments and investors alike have high expectations for offshore energy hubs as crucial for the energy transition. The world’s first energy islands will be constructed in Danish and Belgian waters, exploiting the immense wind resources in the North and the Baltic Seas. They will serve as offshore hubs that can create optimal conditions for the establishment, operation, and innovation with respect to offshore wind and provide better and cost-effective connections between the offshore wind farms and the energy systems in the region. As such the energy hubs will enable large-scale sector coupling in the region and will function as green power plants at sea. High voltage direct current (HVDC) technology is indispensable for the deployment of offshore energy hubs. With its high-power transmission capabilities, different technological options, applicable topologies and precise power flow controllability, HVDC systems are key for designing reliable power grids. To fully exploit the potentialities of HVDC, more research, innovation and demonstration actions (R&I&D) are needed. The session will introduce the concept of offshore energy islands/hubs, present the status of their development, and discuss the main challenges in designing and operating these electron metropolises, as addressed by the two TSOs. At the same time, the session will also present European Union’s Strategic Energy Technology HVDC Implementation plan, introducing and discussing the identified actions in key areas: (i) Technology; (ii) Control and Protection; (iii) Operation and (iv) Planning.