Integration of offshore energy into national energy system: a case study on Belgium

Offshore wind farms are typically connected to the mainland via HVAC or HVDC lines. Another possibility to transmit energy is using molecules instead of electricity which may lead to reduced cost and better storage opportunities. This paper proposes a multi-carrier (natural gas, electricity and hydrogen) model of the Belgium energy system in 2050, under carbon neutrality constraint, to assess whether an energy mix should contain offshore hydrogen production. While HV lines remain the main way of transmitting energy from the offshore farm to mainland, the results show that depending on the renewable capacities, the distance between the wind farm and the coast, and the price of hydrogen import, producing H$_2$ offshore could be beneficial.