Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution (PTD) is taking part in a study initiated by the EU Commission to study the feasibility of creating a reliable link from offshore wind parks to the European grid via gas-insulated, high-voltage transmission lines. The countries bordering the North Sea, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom are included in the study.

The idea is to make more effective use of wind power with the aid of a joint high-voltage network between European cities such as Hamburg, Rotterdam and London and offshore wind parks. The study will examine how far it is possible to solve the problem of irregular power generation by wind force without complicated and expensive storage technology. This North Sea network could also be used for exchanging energy in the whole region and could thus help boost electricity trading within Europe.

Siemens PTD and Submarine Cable & Pipe, a subsidiary of the Bohlen & Doyen Group together with ForWind, the Wind Power Research Center of the Universities of Oldenburg and Hanover are taking part in the study, which has a total budget of 2.1 million euros. The project will be subsidized for a period of three years with a 50 percent grant from the EU Commission to study the field of trans-European networks (Energy Report TEN-E).