A Roadmap and Action Agenda for energy system integration in the North Sea is missing

The Roadmap provides fact-based information on the abundant potential of the North Sea and challenges such as meeting the energy demand.  It further highlights the short-, medium- and long-term actions that are needed for energy system integration with the ultimate goal to accelerate the transition to low-carbon and renewable energies. At this moment, such a vision and cross-sector Roadmap with actions for offshore system integration towards 2050 is lacking. The resulting unclarity and uncertainty for national and international policymakers, project developers and society is hindering the full-throttle transition of the offshore energy system.

This Roadmap aims to address this challenge and provide a vision, pathways, and actions to develop an integrated energy system in the North Sea by 2050. First, an integral vision is developed on the North Sea energy transition that considers the delicate balance between different current and future use functions of the North Sea. Second, exploratory transition pathways are developed for offshore wind, hydrogen, CCS, and natural gas in an integrated assessment toward 2050. These pathways build on insights that have been collected during a participatory process with stakeholders inside and outside the consortium and are in alignment with national and European strategies, ambitions, and targets. Lastly, an Action Agenda (with short, medium, and long-term actions) has been co-created in a participatory process involving partners of NSE and relevant external stakeholders.