European TSOs: ‘Energy Independence Must Begin at Sea’

April 16, 2025, by Adrijana Buljan

The Offshore TSO Collaboration (OTC), an initiative established in 2022 that gathers transmission system operators (TSOs) from the European Northern Seas, says that a unified and efficient offshore grid development strategy is needed for the North Sea to maximise benefits for Europe’s energy security, independence and competitiveness.

Earlier this month, twelve offshore TSOs said that they were striving for an integrated offshore grid. The TSOs highlighted that the European energy independence “must begin at sea” and that there will be no successful energy transition in Europe without developing the offshore energy potential with offshore wind farms and the grids that connect them to the shore.

The TSOs from the Northern Seas (North Sea, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea) said that over the past three years, they collaborated to advance infrastructure development in line with the objectives of the Esbjerg and Ostend Declarations, which aim to increase the combined offshore wind capacity of the Northern Seas.

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During WindEurope 2025 in Copenhagen, the TSOs presented the findings of a pilot study, which show that a regional approach to offshore grid development in the Northern Seas can offer both economic and environmental benefits for Europeans.

The report comes with a grid map that outlines promising cross-border projects. These projects are not considered in isolation but as part of a broader offshore regional grid in the Northern Seas, maximising synergies and cost efficiencies.

The OTC intends to submit a set of these conceptual projects to the Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) 2026. The projects could serve as the foundation for joint cost-sharing negotiations between the involved countries, according to the TSOs.

Image source: Expert Paper II Offshore TSO Cooperation / TenneT

Furthermore, the OTC proposes a regional planning process that could support a government-endorsed regional approach and that would complement existing plans such as the TYNDP and embedded Offshore Network Development Plan (ONDP) and national processes, leading to enhanced coordination and efficiency.

“The OTC would like to highlight that the development of a robust offshore infrastructure is critical for Europe’s energy future. With continued political support and increased collaboration, Europe can advance its ambitious plans for a robust interconnected energy system in the North Sea and position itself as a leader in offshore renewable energy”, the Offshore TSO Collaboration said in a press release on 9 April.