03-09-08 An offshore power grid linking wind farms in the North Sea would create the physical and technical basis for new power trading between countries bordering the North Sea, according to a study released by environmental group Greenpeace.
Based on announced projects, the study foresees some 68 GW of offshore wind capacity in the North Sea by around 2030. This could supply as many as 71 mm German households, for example, if the grid was expanded accordingly.

Greenpeace is urging the countries bordering the North Sea -- Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Norway -- to cooperate in building an integrated power grid big enough to even out variations in wind power generation across the grid.
Integrating Norwegian hydropower into this grid could then even out any peaks in demand, therefore enabling offshore wind farms to supply consumers reliably and consistently. Such a grid would save northern Europe from building about 40 coal-fired power plants, according to the study.

The potential integrated 6,200 km offshore grid would cost about EUR 15-20 bn ($ 22-29 bn), which Greenpeace said is relatively cheap for the amount of power that could be supplied.