Offshore Hybrid Assets

How the North Sea has the potential to become Europe’s green energy ‘powerhouse’

Now more than ever we need more renewable energy to make energy cleaner, more affordable, and more secure. The North Sea offers an incredible opportunity for the UK and our European neighbours to deliver huge increases in offshore wind.  But delivering new offshore wind will require more infrastructure, which will have an impact on communities.

The next generation interconnector

Interconnectors already provide a way to share electricity between countries safely and reliably. But what if they could do much more than that? What if interconnectors could become an offshore connection hub for green energy?

Instead of individual wind farms connecting one by one to the shore, offshore hybrid assets (OHAs) will allow clusters of offshore wind farms to connect all in one go, plugging into the energy systems of neighbouring countries.

 

Tomorrow’s solution: Offshore wind and interconnectors in harmony

Today, offshore wind and interconnectors operate alongside each other, connecting to the shore individually. In the future, offshore hybrid assets could enable offshore wind and interconnection to work together as a combined asset.

We now call this type of infrastructure an offshore hybrid asset (OHA), but we used to refer to it as a multi-purpose interconnector (MPI). We changed it because we work so closely together with Europe, it made sense to use the same terminology.

Take a look at our interactive infographic below for more detail on the benefits of this approach:

Vital connections: How electricity interconnectors strengthen security of supply

In our latest document, we also examine how a new generation of offshore hybrid assets (OHAs) will help to unlock the full potential of offshore wind, supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions and speeding up the clean energy transition.

Read the full publication

Nautilus

Nautilus Interconnector are launching plans for a new Offshore Hybrid Asset (OHA) that could supply enough electricity to power around 1.7 million UK homes.

Our interconnectors

By 2030 90% of the energy imported imported by our interconnectors will be from zero carbon energy sources. Find out more information about our current and future interconnector projects.

LionLink

A first-of-its-kind electricity link to connect offshore wind between the UK and the Netherlands.