Integrated Baltic offshore wind electricity grid development (The Baltic InteGrid)

The IKEM-led project aims to contribute to sustainable indigenous electricity generation, further integration of electricity markets and security of supply in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) by optimizing the potential and efficiency of offshore wind energy (OWE). It will present plans for a coordinated Baltic Sea offshore grid and significantly reduce one of the most important bottlenecks for the development of renewable energy sources in the BSR.

Background

The Baltic Sea region holds great development potential for offshore wind energy, but is home to only 15% of the EU’s offshore wind parks. The other 85% are located mainly in the North Sea, where studies indicated that the international coordination and integration of offshore grid infrastructure between countries, also known as an offshore meshed grid, allows for significant savings. Against this background, the relatively early development stage of offshore wind infrastructure in the Baltic Sea can be a competitive advantage, allowing the region to integrate findings from the North Sea to optimize the design of a regional meshed offshore grid.

Today, no comprehensive cross-sector study on offshore grid planning and integration in the Baltic Sea region exists, although the need for increased international coordination and interconnectors between national energy markets is prioritized by the EU, BASREC and national governments.

Project Information

The Baltic InteGrid will fill this gap, contributing to sustainable regional electricity generation, further integration of electricity markets and security of supply by applying the meshed grid approach in the Baltic Sea region to optimize the potential and efficiency of offshore wind energy. To this end, the project partners from all eight EU MSs in the BSR will work in close cooperation with key stakeholders (transmission system operators (TSOs), OWE industry, policymakers, national authorities, academia). The project will connect relevant stakeholders in debates and topical knowledge exchange with a view to optimize transnational coordination of offshore wind energy infrastructure. Additionally, the project’s innovative research efforts will equip stakeholders with state-of-the-art insights on the framework conditions for the optimal development of a regional meshed grid.

Baltic Grid Forum

The Baltic Grid Forum is a platform for stakeholder engagement. At the occasion of country workshops, sector specific conferences and public events, the Forum will build a regional expert network for offshore wind grid development, and ensure the relevance and practical application of the research focus and findings of the Baltic Grid Concept.

Baltic Grid Concept

The Baltic Grid Concept will set out the framework conditions for the successful development of an integrated offshore wind infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region through international interdisciplinary research and analysis. The Concept will serve as a point of reference for regional stakeholders.

Prefeasibility Studies

Two in-depth prefeasibility studies will be carried out: The first includes Poland and Sweden, with the possibility to extend to Lithuania and Germany. The second case study includes Germany and Denmark. The studies also investigate a South Baltic transmission „grid ring”: building additional on- and offshore connections between the South Baltic countries.
All eight EU Members States in the Baltic Sea region are represented in the partnership of the Baltic Integrid. The complex interdisciplinary nature of the topic of grid integration is reflected in the expertise of the consortium, with a total of fourteen partners covering the fields of policy, regulation, maritime spatial planning, grid infrastructure and technology, civil society engagement, business and industry. Through the consortium’s large circle of Associated Organisations, industry, ministries, utility providers and TSOs will be integrated into the knowledge creation and research process of the project.