Study on the allocation of costs and benefits for offshore infrastructure in EU sea basins : final report

European Union (EU) Member States have in January 2023 agreed on ambitious long-term goals for the deployment of renewable energy in five European sea basins. The goals represent an overall ambition of approximately 111 GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, which would rise to around 317 GW by 2050. Since January 2023 these commitments have been complemented with ambitions for the whole North Sea, including non-EU countries, where at least 300 GW of offshore wind energy would be installed by 2050. This study supports more coordinated approaches and processes for the planning, cost-benefit analysis and cost sharing/allocation of offshore electricity generation and transmission investments at the sea-basin and project levels, particularly involving hybrid transmission projects. Enhanced cooperation and coordination should facilitate achieving national ambitions in a more cost-efficient manner while also improving the electricity markets' functioning. The main outputs of this study consist of recommendations: 1) for sea basin cost-benefit and cost-sharing options; and 2) for coordinated cost-benefit analyses and cost allocations of specific offshore electricity transmission and generation investments. These recommendations are directed primarily at national ministries, regulatory authorities and electricity transmission system operators (including EU and sea basin-level organisations where they are active), but also other EU and national stakeholders.