German electricity transmission system operator (TSO) 50Hertz, along with Elering, the TSO of Estonia, have agreed to collaborate on a hybrid submarine cable project called Baltic WindConnector, in a move to intensify cooperation in the field of offshore wind energy and grid connections. The project will stretch for 750 km across the Baltic Sea, linking Estonia and Germany.
The Baltic WindConnector will allow wind farms to feed their electricity into a grid system that can be used for European electricity trading. The project aims to build one or more converter facilities off the mainland coast of Estonia, where the electricity can be collected, transformed to a higher voltage level, converted into direct current and then transported to the connected countries as required.
See also: 50Hertz and EVH Collaborate on Power-to-Heat Project to Utilize Excess Wind Energy in Germany
The CEOs of 50Hertz, Elering, AST, and Litgrid signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) at the Baltic Offshore Wind Forum, a conference jointly organised by the German Federal Foreign Office, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the German Energy Agency (dena). This collaboration will provide a transnational project in order to tap offshore wind energy potential in the Baltic Sea as efficiently as possible.
According to Stefan Kapferer, CEO of 50Hertz, “The Baltic Sea still offers a lot of potential for the expansion of offshore wind energy and therefore for transnational projects in order to tap this potential as efficiently as possible via hybrid interconnectors or energy islands. Cooperation with the Baltic states and their stronger connection to the continental European electricity interconnection system is important for a climate-neutral Europe and also of great importance in terms of security policy. The Baltic WindConnector is intended to be a first important step on this path.”
Taavi Veskimägi, CEO of Elering, echoed Kapferer's sentiment, saying “Cooperation with 50Hertz and the other Baltic States' TSOs is an essential step for the successful implementation of the Baltic WindConnector project. The project will enable us to fully exploit the potential of the Baltic Sea and to provide secure and sustainable energy to our customers in the future.”
The Baltic WindConnector project is an important step towards achieving the European Union's ambitious target of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The project will create a more integrated, flexible, and secure energy system that can efficiently use renewable energy sources, while also promoting cross-border cooperation between EU member states.
