North Sea Energy
Collecting and developing specific knowledge and technology for offshore system integration in the North Sea.
Goal
The North Sea Energy 5 project (NSE 5) will further develop the design of the three offshore hubs (west, east and north) as defined in NSE 4 and improve the design of these hubs from all relevant perspectives: technical, environmental, ecological, social, legal, regulatory and economic.
Description
The North Sea plays a crucial role in achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the transition to a safe and sustainable energy system. By combining multiple energy functions in an integrated approach, the North Sea Energy (NSE) programme aims to leverage synergies and develop new concepts for offshore system integration in the North Sea. This will contribute to accelerating an affordable European energy transition with optimal value for both society and nature.
Our role
New Energy Coalition serves as the project's executive partner. We are responsible for conducting applied research on business cases and value chain analyses in offshore power-to-gas value chains. We are also responsible for developing international transition pathways and infrastructure needs for electricity, hydrogen, CO2, and natural gas. This includes identifying the international collaborations needed to achieve the objectives.
Partners
In addition to New Energy Coalitio, the following parties are participating in the project: Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN), Equinor, Port of Amsterdam (PoA), Port of Rotterdam (PoR), SmartPort, Groningen Seaports, HINT, Bureau Veritas, MSG Sustainable Strategies, Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM), Gasunie, Neptune Energy, Northern Offshore Gas Transport (NOGAT), ElementNL, Noordgastransport (NGT), ONE-Dyas, Peterson, Shell, Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC), DEME, TOTAL, Van Oord, RWE, BP, Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC), Aquaventus, Norce, Arcadis, Deltaris, H2SEA, TAQA, Subsea7, TKI Nieuw Gas.
Summary North Sea Energy
North Sea Energy 4
The NSE 4 project focused on the development of offshore energy hubs in the Dutch part of the North Sea to enable large-scale system integration. The main objectives were the integration of offshore wind energy, hydrogen production, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and the reuse of existing oil and gas infrastructure. Three conceptual energy hubs were introduced—Hub West, Hub East, and Hub North—with designs supporting nationally and internationally interconnected offshore energy systems. These hubs are intended to optimize resource use, reduce CO2 emissions, and support the energy transition by balancing techno-economic, environmental, and regulatory challenges.
North Sea Energy 3
The NSE 3 project focused on assessing the North Sea's strategic potential for hydrogen production and transport as part of the energy transition. It investigated the integration of offshore wind energy and hydrogen production, and explored hybrid and special systems to balance the energy grid while simultaneously reducing costs and emissions. The project highlighted the economic and technical challenges of offshore hydrogen production and identified policy interventions and infrastructure requirements needed to overcome market barriers and achieve optimal energy system integration by 2050.
North Sea Energy 2
The NSE 2 project focused on exploring synergies between offshore wind energy and existing oil and gas infrastructure in the North Sea to accelerate the energy transition and reduce costs. The project focused on integrating systems such as platform electrification, offshore hydrogen production, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) to address challenges such as grid congestion and decommissioning of oil and gas assets. The project assessed the technical, environmental, economic, and legal feasibility and provided insight into the value of reusing offshore assets for sustainable energy goals.
North Sea Energy 1
The NSE 1 project aimed to accelerate the Dutch energy transition in the North Sea region by integrating offshore wind energy with existing oil and gas infrastructure. Key initiatives included electrifying oil and gas platforms, repurposing gas infrastructure for hydrogen transport, and utilizing depleted gas fields for CO2 storage. The project emphasized system integration as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach to achieving climate goals, while simultaneously examining its technical and economic feasibility. It highlighted synergies between sectors and made recommendations for policy, regulations, and collaboration strategies to maximize societal, environmental, and economic benefits.
Disclaimer
This project received funding from the Top Sector Energy | TKI New Gas under the Strengths in Innovation subsidy scheme, Chapter 1A, Allowance for Top Consortia for Knowledge and Innovation (TKl Allowance). This page and the information it contains reflect the author's views only.