A study to assess the benefits and feasibility of trading electricity between the U.K. and the Netherlands by connecting offshore electrical infrastructure of a U.K. and Dutch offshore wind farm will be conducted by two of Europe’s major energy players, Dutch-German transmission system operator TenneT announced Wednesday.
The Swedish energy group Vattenfall and TenneT plan to assess technical feasibility, regulatory challenges and the benefits of running an interconnector between a substation in the designated offshore wind area IJmuiden Ver in Dutch waters, to one of Vattenfall’s substations in U.K. waters.
By running a high voltage cable between two planned offshore substations, the U.K. and Dutch electricity markets will be further interconnected, the company said, adding that it will enable more power to be traded between these two markets through the efficient use of the wind transmission infrastructure.
The study to connect offshore wind transmission infrastructure with an interconnector is known as WindConnector.
“Anything we can do to optimize our assets with a smart project like WindConnector is good for a competitive, low cost, fossil-free offshore wind industry and great news for consumers,' Vattenfall’s Gunnar Groebler, senior vice-president and head of business area wind, was quoted as saying.
Mel Kroon, CEO of TenneT and Wilfried Breuer, director of offshore TenneT, said the study by a European market player and a European grid operator both with extensive offshore experience would prove to be of great value for the further development of offshore wind energy.
Vattenfall and TenneT both signed a MoU that set out the basis of cooperation to complete the WindConnector study, the results of which are expected for publication later in 2018.
By Ebru Sengul
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr