Following TEN-E Regulation 2022/869, Member States, the European Commission, national regulatory authorities and transmission system operators should collaborate with ENTSO-E on the development of Offshore Network Development Plans (ONDPs). In this framework, ENTSO-E and the European Commission have jointly elaborated a Guidance document to support Member States in delivering the input information needed for the ONDP 2026.

ONDPs are an integral part of ENTSO-E’s Ten-Year Network Development Plan that covers both onshore and offshore transmission infrastructure. The first edition of the ONDP, released in January 2024, assessed the system needs to connect 380 GW offshore resources in the European Union in 2050 and supply up to 25% of electricity demand from renewable sources across all sea basins. It found that a total investment of upward of 400 billion Euros will be needed for offshore transmission assets. Offshore transmission infrastructure needed to connect offshore renewable energy systems (RES) and interconnect regions in the most cost-effective manner amounts to 54.000 km of routes in European waters.

The objective of the Guidance document is to describe the input information that ENTSO-E needs from Member States for the upcoming ONDP 2026 edition. For each sea basin, the information needed includes:

  • Offshore RES capacities in the relevant time horizons (2030, 2040, 2050), including hydrogen produced from offshore renewable energy, where available.
  • Locations dedicated to hosting this offshore renewable generation and transmission infrastructure.
  • Locations dedicated to the production of hydrogen from offshore RES, where available.
  • Any updates regarding areas of the sea of Member States’ Maritime Spatial Plans (MSPs) that are designated for offshore RES development and specific generation targets in these areas.

ENTSO-E and the European Commission continue their engagement with Member States to clarify these data needs. The input from Member States is expected by 24 December 2024.

Read the guidance document here.

Source: ENTSO-E