Ofgem to slowly steer offshore transmission to HVDC

The world’s largest offshore wind market is set for transmission reform, after UK regulator Ofgem announced plans to implement a more cost-effective network to facilitate the country’s capacity buildout on its route to net zero emissions by 2050. Specifics are unclear as yet, but will almost certainly follow the route of hub-to-spoke HVDC, as British projects grow in size and are pushed further offshore. As part of the regulators “decarbonization program action plan”, where it sets out 18-months’ worth of actions, Ofgem has stated that it does not believe that “individual radial offshore transmission links for a growing amount of offshore generation are likely to be economical, sensible or acceptable for consumers and local communities.”   By partnering with the…