ENTSO-EFollowing the publication of its Offshore Roadmap 2025 on 30 May, ENTSO-E today released a position paper exploring policy options for cost-sharing of offshore grid projects focussing on hybrid infrastructure, which combines the purposes of interconnection and system integration of offshore generation. This new publication supports the European Commission’s ambition to integrate offshore renewable energy at scale, with targets reaching up to 365 GW of offshore capacity by 2050 - as outlined in the EU Strategy on offshore renewable energy (November 2020) and builds on the European Commission’s guidance on cross-border cost-sharing published in June 2024.
As offshore renewable energy projects increasingly extend across national borders, a fair and efficient allocation of infrastructure costs and it’s benefits is becoming an important enabler of delivery. Without workable approaches to cost-sharing, cross-border projects risk delay or cancellation, putting at risk the EU’s decarbonisation and energy security goals.
To help address this challenge, ENTSO-E provides a neutral and holistic assessment of policy options currently under discussion. While not endorsing any specific model, the paper outlines and compares several possible approaches and assesses them against four key messages ENTSO-E considers essential for the successful implementation of any cost-sharing framework:
- Cost-sharing decisions should remain voluntary and taken at national level, allowing flexibility for negotiations rather than relying on predefined cost allocation keys.
- Political consensus and support among sea-basin countries and partners are critical enablers of progress, helping to facilitate agreements.
- Regional approaches are preferred over pan-European ones due to better understanding of local costs, benefits, and project interdependencies.
- A transparent cooperation framework focusing on common goals, roadmaps, and project planning is crucial, facilitating early involvement of relevant authorities, regulators, and cost-contributors.
This position paper forms part of ENTSO-E’s broader contribution to Europe’s offshore energy transition. It supports ongoing regional efforts such as the Baltic Offshore Grid Initiative (Baltic Sea) and the Offshore TSO Collaboration (North Seas), while also feeding into preparations for the North Seas Summit in Hamburg (January 2026). By providing technical clarity on cost-sharing options, ENTSO-E aims to help policymakers and stakeholders advance concrete solutions that match the scale and urgency of Europe’s offshore ambitions.