Europe aims to reduce its emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This requires a significant expansion of offshore wind capacity and emerging technologies like floating solar, offshore hydrogen production, transport & storage, and CCS. Without an integrated approach, these expansions will be challenging.

The NSE research program uses Offshore System Integration to identify options for reducing the costs, time, emissions, space, and (human) capital needed to realize the North Sea's role in the energy transition. Synergies between offshore wind, marine energy, CCS, natural gas, and hydrogen present unique opportunities for innovation.

To unlock the North Sea's climate-neutral potential, an integrated vision and roadmap are needed to optimize its value for society and nature. This roadmap will provide clarity and certainty to policymakers, developers, and society, outlining pathways for offshore energy technologies towards 2050.

The North Sea Energy roadmap includes updated pathways for offshore wind, marine energy, hydrogen, CCS, and natural gas towards 2050. These pathways were developed with stakeholders and align with national and EU strategies and targets, emphasizing infrastructure visions for electricity, hydrogen, CO2, and natural gas.

To address system integration challenges, the NSE program has identified strategies and key actions for main offshore energy technologies. Actions focus on offshore wind, marine energy, green and blue hydrogen, CO2 transport and storage, and natural gas, aiming to accelerate development while balancing economic, societal, and environmental demands.

The North Sea Energy consortium envisions the North Sea as a thriving energy region that has achieved carbon neutrality, perhaps even becoming a net negative carbon sink for Europe. Offshore energy system integration is seen as an enabler to accelerate low carbon and renewable energy options that provide reliable, low-cost energy sources for industry and other end-users on its coastline and in the hinterland. Strategic sector coupling allows deeper and faster reduction of CO₂ emissions, more efficient use of marine space and effective use of energy infrastructure for conversion, transport and storage of energy commodities. This secures livelihoods to millions of people and creates new sustainable jobs for the future. Finally, offshore system integration can provide synergies with non-energy stakeholders to develop solutions that have positive impacts on nature and safety as well as contribute to sustainable food production and to the circular economy.

Well-integrated offshore energy systems enhance energy security by reducing dependence on external sources, potentially creating millions of sustainable jobs and enhancing regional resilience. Integrated systems also create synergies with non-energy sectors for solutions in nature conservation, safety, sustainable food production, and circular economy initiatives.

Following the invasion of Ukraine, the REPowerEU plan was launched to reduce dependency on Russian energy by increasing renewable energy production. The EU aims for 42.5% of electricity from renewables by 2030, reaching 100% by 2050 to decrease CO₂ emissions and increase competitiveness through domestic renewable energy expansion.

The North Sea initially contributed to energy through natural gas and oil production from the 1960s. With declining offshore hydrocarbon production, there's a transition to renewable energy such as offshore wind, which is expected to account for about 30% of European electricity by 2050. Existing infrastructure may be repurposed for hydrogen and CO₂ transport/storage.

The European Grid Package, proposed in Q1 2026, will include legislative proposals to simplify trans-European energy networks (TEN-E Regulation), ensure integrated cross-border planning, streamline permitting, boost distribution grid planning, and increase digitalisation. It aims to integrate regional and EU interests with an effective cost-sharing mechanism for cross-border projects.