In order to achieve the renewable targets up to 2020, the The North Seas Countries' Offshore Grid initiative (NSCOGI) was formed as the responsible body to evaluate and facilitate coordinated development of a possible offshore grid that maximises the efficient and economic use of those renewable sources and infrastructure investments.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 3 December 2010 by the 10 countries around the North Seas represented by their energy ministries, supported by their Transmission System Operators (TSOs, organised in the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity ENTSO-E), their regulators (organised in the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators ACER) and the European Commission together forming the NSCOGI.

Three working groups were created by the MoU in order to take the overarching objective into a set of deliverable to be taken forward:

• WG1 - grid implementation
• WG2 - market and regulation
• WG3 - permissions and planning

Each working group is chaired by representatives of two countries energy ministries and coordinated by a programme board.  The link below provides access to the final report and reports of the NSCOGI working groups:

• The North Seas Countries' Offshore Grid Initiative webpage

For more information on NSCOGI, please contact Mihai Paun: mihai.paun@entsoe.eu