Comparative Assessment of Topologies for an Offshore Transnational Grid in the North Sea

In this paper, three topologies of transmission grids in the North Sea with different feasible structures for scenario 2030 are defined. Each of these topologies is optimized towards the objective of minimum total cost (i.e. the sum of investment and operational costs, including the costs of fuel, CO2 emission and load shedding, throughout the lifetime). The topologies are compared through a cost benefit analysis within the scope of six countries surrounding the North Sea. Sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the implications of each topology against a wide range of uncertainties. As a result, the optimized North Sea Infrastructure in a hub-and-spoke structure with the North Sea Wind Power Hub located at the Dogger Bank leads to the lowest total cost among all compared topologies.