Regional plan among Baltic States to facilitate joint offshore wind development

Several Baltic countries have signed a joint declaration of interest to facilitate offshore wind generation, enhance system planning and buildout the region’s transmission and grid infrastructure.

According to the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP), the countries of Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland and Sweden are working jointly to achieve an open and integrated regional electricity and gas market in the Baltic Sea region. Norway participates as an observer.

Among several measures, the BEMIP aims to:

• recognize the development of renewable offshore wind projects across the Baltic Sea be based on commercially viable solutions;
• develop a coordinated approach to comprehensive planning and implementation that considers environmental protection and other uses of the sea; and
•  encourage transmission system operators to cooperate on offshore grid planning and related transmission infrastructure on land to facilitate cost-effective offshore wind integration.

“The BEMIP is the high-level umbrella under which emphasises that a significant increase in offshore energy can be most efficiently achieved through a cooperative, regional approach,” explains Dan Pearson, RCG’s Chief Strategy Officer.

Offshore wind production is seen as an important measure in meeting national renewable deployment targets and the European Union’s (EU) climate neutrality objectivity by 2050.

The potential EU contribution of offshore wind energy by 2050 will amount at least 20 times today’s installed capacity of 12 GW, making it a crucial pillar of the energy mix.

In the Baltic Sea alone, estimates show the potential for offshore wind could reach 93 GW.

The Baltic countries maintain that a cooperative, regional approach to energy is the optimal approach to reaching the potential. For example, the member countries have pledged to cooperate on identifying potential joint and hybrid projects across the Baltic Sea and fostering their development. Notably, the member companies will work toward a potential EU enabling framework to overcome barriers.

“Since 2009 the EU and the Baltic States have been building momentum in order to form a common goal on energy interconnectivity to address pressing matters relating with security of supply and climate change,” notes Pearson, who oversees Oslo-based RCG Nordic, an RCG partner company.

“RCG and its partner company RCG Nordic have a great deal of experience in assisting clients in both connectivity and offshore wind in the region and are excited by the significant potential (93GW) that offshore wind in the Baltic Sea could bring to Europe’s energy mix,” Pearson explains. “Our company is especially well-positioned to help clients take their projects from ‘greenfield’ site identification through financial investment decision and beyond.”

By Spring 2021, the BEMIP calls for each Baltic Sea Region country to establish an offshore wind development work programme in accordance with the EU’s National Energy and Climate Plans and renewable energy production mandates.

Baltic Sea offshore wind joint declaration of intent signing ceremony (Picture credit: Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania)

Sources:

Baltic energy market interconnection plan (European Commission, accessed Nov 2020) [↑]

Baltic Sea offshore wind joint declaration of intent (30 September 2020) [↑]

Baltic Ministers endorse commitment for closer cooperation on offshore energy (European Commission, Sep 2020) [↑]

Baltic Sea Region countries sign a declaration on cooperation in the development of offshore wind (Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, Sep 2020) [↑]