Mainstream’s Chief Executive, Dr Eddie O’Connor, formulated the initial proposals for the European Offshore Supergrid in 2001 and is defined as “an electricity system, mainly based on direct current, designed to facilitate large-scale sustainable power generation in remote areas for transmission to centres of consumption”. Whilst not seen by policy makers as a priority at that time, today
Supergrid is acknowledged as central to achieving Europe’s goals of security of supply and sustainability.
The Supergrid is a high voltage direct current (HVDC) network connecting offshore and onshore SuperNodes which collect the renewable energy and deliver it to the existing high voltage grid on land.
The Supergrid has the technology and scale to harness Europe’s abundant offshore wind in the North Sea. It is also capable of being deployed on land where there are gaps in a country’s or continent’s
energy capacity, such as in the US.
- Mainstream initiated the setting up of the ‘Friends of the Supergrid’ (FOSG) in 2010.
- FOSG is a group of twenty one of the world’s leading companies that have come together to promote the policy agenda for a Supergrid in Europe.
- These companies combine all sectors – HVDC infrastructure and related technology, together with companies that will develop, install, own and operate that infrastructure.
- FOSG submitted the Supergrid Phase 1 proposal to the European Commission in December 2010.
For more information visit, www.friendsofthesupergrid.eu
