Off-shore Super Grids
Europe’s ambitious targets in moving member states towards low carbon economies bring with them a number of challenges that will require equally ambitious step changes in the application of sustainable energy technologies. Capitalising on Scotland’s renewable energy potential represents one such significant challenge that will require the development, demonstration, and deployment of off-shore super grids.
SEGEC will focus on this area by facilitating the formation of partnerships and collaborations, and the application for local, national, and European-level funding in pursuing such projects. SEGEC are interested to hear from potential partners or to receive information on innovative concepts and projects for whom and to which to apply their knowledge of funding opportunities and extensive contacts at all levels in the sector.
As a result of SEGEC support, the Moray Firth Offshore HVDC Hub achieved significant funding from the European Economic Recovery Package. The bid was prepared and supported by SEGEC and the Scottish Government, and the decision to award Scottish and Southern Energy €74M was announced by the European Commission in December 2009.
This innovative and challenging project will develop an off-shore HVDC connector hub, with the provision of a three way inverter station, to enable off-shore renewable energy projects in the Pentland Firth area and adjacent wind farm projects to connect to the proposed sub-sea cable running from Shetland to the Scottish mainland.
The project will resolve one of the major technological challenges facing off-shore grid development in Scotland, the UK, and the European Union and will enable renewable energy to be harvested and linked directly into a subsea cable network, instead of first needing to go onshore. The partners aim that the grid connection and node will be in place by October 2013.
For further information on SEGEC's activities in this area, please contact Jonathan Leucci, Thematic Manager for Grids, at jonathan.leucci@segec.org.uk.
