Friday 17 November 2023

Energinet and Statnett examining feasibility and potential benefits of a new hybrid interconnector between Denmark and Norway bringing offshore wind power ashore from offshore wind areas near a Danish energy island in the North Sea and from an area in the Norwegian part of the North Sea.

Energinet and Statnett are now cooperating on examining the technical feasibility and potential benefits of a new hybrid interconnector between Denmark and Norway.

The hybrid interconnector will bring offshore wind power ashore from offshore wind areas near a Danish energy island in the North Sea and from an area in the Norwegian part of the North Sea called Sørvest F. At the same time, the interconnector will add one more connection between the Danish and Norwegian electricity markets in addition to the existing Skagerrak connections.

"Energinet's cooperation with Statnett on investigating a new hybrid interconnector between Denmark and Norway is an important step in the expansion of the future offshore grid. An expanded grid of hybrid interconnectors and offshore energy hubs is necessary to realize political ambitions to transform the North Sea into Europe's green power plant” says Hanne Storm Edlefsen, Director of Energy Islands, Energinet.

Recommendation at the end of 2024

The agreement between Energinet and Statnett builds on existing cooperation, and it follows in the wake of a political agreement made between Denmark's and Norway's energy ministers from June 2023 to examine the potentials of common infrastructure solutions in the North Sea for the integration of offshore wind power into the energy systems of Denmark, Norway and other northern European countries.

According to the plan, Energinet's and Statnett's joint investigation is to be completed at the end of 2024 with a recommendation as to whether there is reason to proceed with even more detailed analyses of the possible hybrid interconnector. The aim of the work is for a connection between Denmark and Norway via a Danish energy island in the North Sea to be ready by 2035 at the earliest.