30 January 2025 12:30 – 14:30
Press Club, Rue Froissart 95, Brussels
EPICO’s panel discussion “Accelerating Integrated Infrastructure in the North Sea” highlighted the potential the North Sea offers for Europe’s energy transition, although several challenges must be addressed.
Permitting remains one of the biggest hurdles, with complex stakeholder engagement and environmental considerations slowing down projects. Supply chain constraints and a lack of deep-water ports further complicate deployment, while investment risks require stronger de-risking mechanisms. A valuable model for de-risking is the German risk-covering scheme, which should be Europeanised.
Panellists agreed that hydrogen infrastructure in the North Sea is a key opportunity, yet scaling up remains difficult. Offshore pipelines present technical and financial challenges, requiring new risk-sharing models beyond national approaches. Intergovernmental cooperation will be critical to ensure complementarity between energy vectors rather than a zero-sum competition. Engaging non-EU partners like Norway and the UK at the TSO level can further enhance resilience. To unlock the full potential of the region, the EU must take a leadership role in fostering coordinated action across member states. While EU financing and planning tools can help accelerate progress, more strategic coordination is needed.
Panel Participants
Dr. Bernd Weber, CEO & Founder, EPICO KlimaInnovation
Tom Howes, Adviser, Green Transition and Market Regulation, DG ENER
Christoph von dem Bussche, President, ENNOH, and CEO, Gascade
Sonya Twohig, Secretary General, ENTSO-E
Moderation
Alice Hancock, EU Correspondent, Financial Times
Read the key quotes of our panellists:
Common planning and financing mechanisms are already in place. The European Commission will increase efforts to speed up planning processes, supporting Member States towards implementation.
Supply chains are the biggest bottleneck in the North Sea but are not the only challenge. Timelines need to be shortened for permitting, and a lack of deep-water ports is a further complication.
There should not be investment barriers. Instead, more guarantees are needed. The German risk-covering schemes should be Europeanised.
To untap the potential of the North Sea, we need to focus on intergovernmental cooperation. This includes an understanding of the complementarity of various energy vectors. It should not be a zero-sum game.