ENTSO-E Unveils Offshore Roadmap to 2050
The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) has published its long-anticipated Offshore Roadmap, charting a regulatory and technical path to integrate up to 365 GW of offshore renewable energy into Europe’s power system by 2050, a transformative leap from today’s capacity and a cornerstone of the EU’s climate and energy ambitions.
A Pan-European Vision for Offshore Grids
With Europe’s offshore wind and renewable projects rapidly evolving from isolated national ventures to interconnected, multi-country systems, ENTSO-E’s roadmap addresses the urgent need for a harmonized, forward-looking regulatory framework. The aim is to ensure that the future offshore grid is as integrated and innovative as the infrastructure it supports, spanning the North Seas, Baltic, Atlantic, and Mediterranean basins.
Six Regulatory Priorities for Offshore Integration
ENTSO-E’s Offshore Roadmap identifies six key priorities to enable secure, efficient, and market-based offshore energy integration:
- Geographic areas & offshore bidding zones: Defining zones to enable market-based coordination and efficient cross-border trading.
- Offshore balancing: Developing robust concepts for balancing variable offshore generation and ensuring system security.
- Frequency control: Addressing frequency management challenges in low-inertia, power-electronic-dominated offshore environments.
- Ramping requirements: Harmonizing ramping standards for HVDC links and offshore wind farms to support grid stability.
- Inertia provision & grid-forming capability: Enabling new technical solutions to maintain system resilience as conventional sources decline.
- Dynamic stability: Ensuring stable operation of offshore grids dominated by HVDC and power electronics.
These priorities lay the foundation for adapting Europe’s electricity market rules, system operations, and development frameworks to the complexities of large-scale offshore infrastructure.
Stakeholder Engagement and Innovation
The roadmap was developed through extensive consultation with industry stakeholders, national regulators, and EU institutions, including a series of workshops in 2024 and 2025. It aligns with the revised TEN-E Regulation and the EU’s decarbonization targets, supporting joint planning across Member States and providing visibility to grid promoters, investors, and the supply chain.
Implications for HVDC and Grid Technology
The Offshore Roadmap underscores the critical role of HVDC technology in connecting offshore wind farms and integrating hybrid projects, radial connections, and cross-border interconnectors. It calls for anticipatory investments, innovation in grid-forming converters, and technical standards to ensure interoperability, reliability, and environmental stewardship.
Next Steps
ENTSO-E will continue to update the roadmap as technologies and policies evolve, ensuring the regulatory framework keeps pace with the rapid expansion of offshore renewables. The roadmap feeds directly into the Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) and the Offshore Network Development Plans (ONDPs), which together provide a comprehensive outlook on future offshore grid requirements at the sea basin level.
Industry Impact
This roadmap is a pivotal reference for HVDC manufacturers, developers, and system operators, offering a clear blueprint for Europe’s offshore energy future. It signals strong regulatory support for cross-border projects and innovative grid solutions, paving the way for a secure, efficient, and sustainable offshore power system.
For more details, the full Offshore Roadmap and supporting materials are available on the ENTSO-E website.
