The Benefits of a pan European offshore grid

The conference agenda has been carefully designed to offer attendees a holistic view of the opportunities presented by the development of a pan-European offshore grid, the challenges ahead and the diverse and enormous benefits such an undertaking could yield.

The format of the day, the selection of speakers and their presentations have been specifically planned to provide the most comprehensive collection of perspectives on this vitally important initiative.

At the heart of energy policy for all European States are the twin concerns of climate change and energy security. The development of a pan-European offshore grid could have a significant and positive impact in both of these issues.

A "connected Europe" will boost the supply of electricity from renewable sources across Europe, from the vast reserves of wind and ocean energy to the North and West of Europe, to solar capacity in the deserts to the South.
Strengthening the interconnections between EU member states will also assure that connected states have access to diverse and secure energy supplies, insulated from political, economic or social shifts.

The development of offshore grid connections could be a key component in meeting the energy goals of European states now and into the future.

It will enable the further development of Europe's vast offshore energy resources which are currently underutilised-partly because there has been no way of transmitting this energy economically to users. A pan-European offshore grid will address this issue and encourage interconnected states to co-operate in the funding and development of generation resources to tap into these reserves.

Boosting the interconnectivity of European states will also create a more competitive marketplace for energy producers and consumers, ensuring that international competition legislation can be practically implemented in a market which has been hampered in its competitive development by monopolies and governed pricing.