Unlocking synergies: joint planning of offshore wind energy and offshore electrolysis
At the North Sea Summit in Hamburg BDEW and AquaVentus are calling for stronger European cooperation in offshore wind expansion—and for the systematic integration of offshore electrolysis into national and regional planning. Studies show that lower spatial density, cross-border area cooperation and combined infrastructure solutions can significantly reduce costs and increase efficiency.
“The expansion of offshore wind in the North Sea is and remains a key element of the energy transition and industrial development in Germany and Europe. However, it is crucial to design the further expansion optimized for full load hours and thus even more cost-efficient. A central lever for increasing cost efficiency is less dense construction and the use, connection, and crediting of foreign areas that are not needed for offshore wind expansion there.”
These findings come from a study by Fraunhofer IWES commissioned by BDEW and BWO, whose summary was published today on the occasion of the North Sea Summit 2026 in Hamburg. The full study will be published in February 2026.
Based on various 70 GW scenarios, it is shown that less dense construction and cross-border area cooperation with Denmark and Sweden in the North and Baltic Seas significantly reduce shading effects. In addition, full load hours and yields can be increased by an average of 6 to 13 percent, and the costs per megawatt-hour for offshore electricity can be reduced by 6 to 11 percent.
“A central lever for increasing cost efficiency is less dense construction and the use and crediting of foreign areas,” says Kerstin Andreae, Chair of the BDEW Executive Board.
European cooperation as a key enabler for cost-efficient offshore wind expansion
BDEW therefore calls for bilateral agreements with neighboring states to open up offshore areas in their exclusive economic zones (EEZ) for the German electricity market. These could then be connected radially, i.e., exclusively to the German grid. In addition, the association advocates for reliable and comparable investment conditions throughout the North Sea region. As a central instrument, BDEW mentions bilateral Contracts for Difference (CfDs) with sector-specific indexing and clearly defined award caps. These should be introduced and harmonized in all North Sea coastal states.
Regarding offshore electrolysis, BDEW calls for its ramp-up to be state-supported and more strongly integrated into national and regional offshore planning. Combined connection concepts with submarine cables and hydrogen pipelines should be legally enabled. “With such an integrated, European approach, the potential of offshore wind energy for supply security, climate protection, and competitiveness can be increased,” says Andreae.
AquaVentus calls for integrated planning of offshore wind and offshore hydrogen
The AquaVentus initiative calls for closer integration of offshore wind energy and offshore hydrogen production at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg. In a discussion round with heads of state and government as well as energy ministers, AquaVentus Managing Director Robert Seehawer emphasizes the strategic importance of offshore electrolysis for a cost-efficient and resilient energy system in Europe.
Offshore hydrogen is not a niche solution, but a central component for a competitive, secure, and climate-neutral European energy system.”
According to AquaVentus, offshore hydrogen can strengthen European supply security, as the energy potential of the North Sea is used as a domestic and geopolitically independent source. However, the prerequisite for market ramp-up is economic viability. By combining offshore wind, offshore electrolysis, and shared infrastructure for electricity and hydrogen, system costs can be significantly reduced. According to AquaVentus calculations, savings of up to 1.7 billion euros per year are possible in Germany alone – with simultaneously higher utilization of existing offshore networks (more on this in H2international No. 5-2025)
“Unlike billion-dollar support measures for transmission system operators, research and demonstration projects for offshore electrolysis require only a fraction of the funds and provide significant benefits for the entire energy system and industry,” says Seehawer.
Seehawer criticized regulatory hurdles in this context: “If Germany does not finally debureaucratize, we will hold all of Europe back. The permission of combined electricity and hydrogen connections, for example, costs the state nothing but increases the efficiency and economic viability of the existing grid infrastructure.”
Industrial policy opportunities driven by offshore hydrogen and international cooperation
In addition to energy policy aspects, AquaVentus also highlights the industrial policy significance. Offshore hydrogen opens up new opportunities for innovation, technological development, and export – particularly for German mechanical and plant engineering. The initiative points to international cooperation such as the recently concluded Memorandum of Understanding with Hydrogen Scotland. “If we now persist in old ways of thinking, we endanger the energy transition and Germany as an industrial location,” said Seehawer. The North Sea Summit offers the political framework to move forward boldly and unbureaucratically.
