Offshore wind can provide not only stable and renewable energy for the BSR but also facilitate better interconnection of the Baltic Sea countries’ power systems by applying a meshed grid approach. This is in line with the current EU climate & energy policy but also with global trends.

Although the meshed grid approach is mainly analysed in terms of the North Sea, the Baltic Sea has some important advantages:

a)    it has an immense potential for the development of offshore wind estimated for 40GW, with 10GW by the year 2030,

b)    geographical, market and political characteristics and conditions of the region favour new interconnectors – reflected in Ten Year Network Development Plans,

c)    most offshore wind farms are currently at the planning stage therefore grid connection arrangements can still be coordinated.

Using this potential and coordinating efforts at the stage when a meshed grid can be applied to already planned projects can lead to significant reduction of costs, better coordination of marine spatial plans and additional benefits in terms of implementation of the internal energy market and Energy Union.

The substantive basis for the discussion will be the results of the Baltic InteGrid project which is executed by 14 organizations from 8 Baltic Sea Region countries. During the conference, for the first time the results of the Pre-Feasibility Studies for two cases of interconnectors integrated with planned offshore wind farms will be presented. The analyses performed involve such aspects as: analysis of offshore projects and potential, grid designs, spatial and environmental considerations, cost-benefit analysis.

The conference is part of the Baltic Offshore Grid Forum which is a platform developed within the Baltic InteGrid project, with the aim to facilitate discussion on the Baltic Offshore Grid in the Baltic Sea Region. For more details about the Baltic InteGrid and Baltic Offshore Grid Forum please visit: www.baltic-integrid.eu.

The conference Offshore Grid and Offshore Wind Energy in the Baltic Sea – Opportunity for Integrating Energy Markets will aim to reach the following goals:

1.    Initiate discussion on the opportunities which the dynamic development of offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) and the development of the Baltic offshore grid can bring for the regional energy markets

2.    Present for the first time the results of the Pre-Feasibility Studies for two cases of electricity interconnections integrated with planned offshore wind farms: Poland-Sweden-Lithuania (case study 1) and Germany-Sweden (case study 2 - Hansa PowerBridge) – developed under Baltic InteGrid project

3.    Identify where a meshed grid approach can be applied in the Baltic Sea

4.    Identify next steps needed in order to transpose the strategic perspective into concrete projects.

To register please follow the link: (registration).