Grids are already developing offshore, and this development will continue even though at what pace and how they will develop is still uncertain. Indeed, there are different possible configurations for a future offshore grid: it can be a simple multiplication of standalone lines that provide each a single service (either connection of generation, or connection between transmission grids); or it can be a more integrated infrastructure like an offshore meshed grid that combines and interconnects dozens of offshore lines and generation units (hereafter combined solution).

1. Florence School of Regulation
Grid connection of offshore wind farms
FSR Webinar Series
Florence, 25 September, 2012
Leonardo Meeus
(Florence School of Regulation, European University Institute)
THINK (http://think.eui.eu)
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2. Grid connection of offshore wind farms
Why this topic? … the buzz
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3. Grid connection of offshore wind farms
Why this topic? … EU context
Offshore wind technology
• Expected to increase from 3 GW to about 40 GW by 2020 in Europe
Offshore grid connection
• Tennet is investing 6 billion to connect offshore wind in North Germany
• The UK is expected to invest 6-10 billion pounds
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4. Grid connection of offshore wind farms
Why a webinar?
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5. Grid connection of offshore wind farms
Webinar focus
Who should design and develop the
grid connection?
Who should pay for the grid
connection?
Who should be the regulator for the
grid connection?
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6. First poll: Who should design and develop the grid connection
of offshore wind farms? “choose a statement”
• A: Transmission System Operator (TSO)
• B: Offshore wind farm developers (Generators)
• C: Tender (Third parties)
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7. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
Onshore
Connection regime
• First-come-first-serve
Principles
• Planning  limited
• Element of competition  no
Importance of the principles
• Onshore: limited
• Offshore: important
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8. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
Increasing cost and technology uncertainties (THINK, 2012)
400
HVAC
350 HVDC VSC
300 MVAC
250
Distance (km)
200
150
100
50
0
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
-50
Year Commissioned
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9. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
Offshore wind farms in Germany (THINK, 2012)
Year Voltage (kV)
Name of the Distance to Power Transmission
# Country commissione
wind farm shore (km) (MW) technology
d
1 Alpha Ventus Germany 2010 52.5 60 110 HVAC
2 Baltic 1 Germany 2010 16 48.3 150 HVAC
3 Breitling Germany 2006 0.5 2.5 - -
4 Ems Emden Germany 2004 0.6 4.5 - -
5 HVDC BorWin 1 Germany 2009 200 400 150 HVDC VSC
6 HVDC BorWin 2 Germany 2012 200 800 HVDC VSC
7 HVDC DolWin 1 Germany 2013 330 800 320 HVDC VSC
8 HVDC HelWin 1 Germany 2013 130 576 380 HVDC VSC
9 HVDC SylWin 1 Germany 2014 205 864 HVDC VSC
Total Germany 3500
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10. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
Germany offshore
Connection regime
• Connection obligation
Planning
• Offshore electricity plugs
Element of competition
• No
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11. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
Offshore electricity plugs (Tennet)
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12. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
Offshore electricity plugs (Elia homepage)
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13. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
Offshore electricity plugs (ABB, Borwin alpha)
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14. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
Offshore wind farms in Sweden (THINK, 2012)
Year Voltage (kV)
Name of the Distance to Power Transmission
# Country commissione
wind farm shore (km) (MW) technology
d
1 Utgrunden Sweden 2000 8 10.5 21 MVAC
2 Yttre Stengrund Sweden 2001 4 10 20 MVAC
3 Lillgrund Sweden 2007 7 110.4 130 HVAC
4 Bockstigen Sweden 1998 3 2.5 - -
5 Vanern Sweden 2009 7 30 - -
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15. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
Sweden offshore
Connection regime
• Generators design and develop their connection
Planning
• No
Element of competition
• Yes
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16. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
Offshore wind farms in the UK (THINK, 2012)
Year Voltage (kV)
Name of the Distance to Power Transmission
# Country commissione
wind farm shore (km) (MW) technology
d
1 Beatrice UK 2007 23 10 33 MVAC
2 Blyth UK 2000 1.6 4 11 MVAC
3 Burbo Bank UK 2007 6.4 90 33 MVAC
4 Inner Dowsing UK 2009 5.9 97.2 33 MVAC
5 Kentish Flats 1 UK 2005 10.75 90 33 MVAC
6 Lynn UK 2009 5.9 97.2 33 MVAC
7 North Hoyle UK 2004 7.2 60 33 MVAC
8 Rhyl Flats UK 2009 8 90 33 MVAC
9 Scroby Sands UK 2004 2.3 60 33 MVAC
10 Barrow UK 2008 7.5 90 132 HVAC
11 Greater Gabbard UK 2008 26 504 132 HVAC
12 Gunfleet Sands UK 2010 7 172.8 132 HVAC
13 Robin Rigg UK 2010 8 180 132 HVAC
14 Thanet UK 2010 11.4 300 132 HVAC
15 Walney 1 UK 2011 14.4 183.6 132 HVAC
Total UK 1478
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17. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
Offshore wind farms in the UK (National Grid, 2011)
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18. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
UK model for offshore (Martin Crouch, 2011)
Connection regime
• Offshore Transmission Owners (OFTO)
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19. 1. Who should design and develop the connection?
UK model for offshore
Connection regime
• Offshore Transmission Owners (OFTO)
Planning
• More planning being considered
Element of competition
• Yes
• Ofgem: not only technology innovation
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20. First poll: Who should design and develop the grid connection
of offshore wind farms? To sum up
Alternative models A) TSO B) Generators C) Third party
Experiments with
Germany Sweden UK
these models
Planning
Element of
competition
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21. First poll: Who should design and develop the grid connection
of offshore wind farms? To sum up
Alternative models A) TSO B) Generators C) Third party
Experiments with
Germany Sweden UK
these models
Planning
Element of
competition
http://think.eui.eu
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22. First poll: Who should design and develop the grid connection
of offshore wind farms? To sum up
Alternative models A) TSO B) Generators C) Third party
Experiments with
Germany Sweden UK
these models
Planning
Element of
competition
http://think.eui.eu
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23. Second poll: Who should pay for the grid connection of
offshore wind farms? “choose a statement”
• A: Offshore wind farm developer (Generator)
• B: Grid users (Transmission tariffs)
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24. 2. Who should pay?
Example (Auer, 2007)
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25. 2. Who should pay?
Deep charges
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26. 2. Who should pay?
Shallow charges
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27. 2. Who should pay?
Super shallow charges
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28. 2. Who should pay?
Assessing current practice
Importance of having a price signal Relevance offshore
• Decision to locate • Constrained by concessions
• Timing decision • Electricity pugs
Current practice
• Germany: super shallow charges
• Sweden: shallow charges
• UK: super shallow, but with locational G-component
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29. Second poll: Who should pay for the grid connection of
offshore wind farms? To sum up
E.g. Germany Sweden UK
Planning
Element of
competition
Price signal
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30. Third poll: Who should be the regulator for the grid connection
of offshore wind farms? “choose a statement”
• A: National regulatory authorities
• B: Regional or EU regulatory framework
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31. 3. Who should be the regulator?
Kriegers Flak
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32. 3. Who should be the regulator?
Standalone solution
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33. 3. Who should be the regulator?
Combined solution
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34. 3. Who should be the regulator?
Problems due to not aligned national regulatory frameworks
• E.g. Swedish TSO is not
responsible for connection of
offshore wind farms
• E.g. German TSO obligation
makes cooperation difficult
• … (THINK, 2012)
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35. 3. Who should be the regulator?
Future could bring many more Kriegers Flak type of offshore grid projects
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36. Grid connection of offshore wind farms
Answers to the three questions
Who should design and develop the What matters is to have advanced
grid connection? connection planning, and an element
of competition
Who should pay for the grid Offshore wind developers should at
connection? least pay shallow charges
Who should be the regulator for the Offshore grids require collective
grid connection? action at regional or EU level
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37. Florence School of Regulation
Thank you very much for your attention
leonardo.meeus@eui.eu
http://think.eui.eu
THINK reports (published 2011 - 2012)
1) Public Support of RD&D
2) Smart Cities
3) Energy Roadmap for 2050
4) Public Budget of EU Member States
5) Offshore Grids
6) Transmission Grid Tarification
7) Building refurbishment
8) Electricity Storage
Ongoing (to be published in 2013)
9) EU technology policy for 2050
10) CBA for infrastructure package
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