Chapter 5. Relevant offshore electricity markets: energy hubs and hybrid solutions

Coastal States have high ambitions for generating energy offshore: mainly offshore wind, although other forms of energy (wave, tidal, floating solar) are also being developed on a small scale. With the development of offshore renewable energy sources (RES) for significant percentages of the energy mix, the question arises of how offshore RES should be integrated into electricity markets, from a physical perspective (connection strategies and responsibilities) and a market perspective (treatment of offshore RES vis-à-vis cross-border energy flows). Both aspects come together in ‘hybrid’ connections, energy hubs and even artificial islands. Competition law elements related to the development of offshore RES and the associated infrastructure are, for example, how the legal framework ensures healthy competition in offshore wind tenders, who can own and operate which infrastructure and how new market setups can help to reach a level playing field between offshore RES and other sources of electricity, storage and conversion.