Hamburg, 26 January 2026 – Creos Luxembourg S.A. (Creos), Luxembourg’s transmission system operator, welcomes the recommendations presented by the Offshore TSO Collaboration (OTC) and its members at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg. Creos supports the outcomes agreed at the summit to strengthen regional planning, cost sharing, and financing for an integrated offshore grid that could unlock Europe’s offshore wind potential.

“The North Seas are Europe’s green powerhouse,” as stated by Manon van Beek, CEO of TenneT Holding. Offshore wind in the North Sea could play a significant role in Europe’s transition to clean energy. By 2050, the region could generate up to 1,000 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, meeting around 40% of Europe’s electricity demand. Achieving this will require close cooperation among countries and an integrated offshore grid to connect offshore wind farms efficiently and deliver benefits across borders. The OTC recommends moving from isolated national “point-to-point” links to hybrid, multi-purpose connections that can link offshore wind farms to more than one country and strengthen the wider European grid, including in the North Sea and neighboring seas.

Although Luxembourg does not host offshore infrastructure, it is an active contributor to the OTC and is currently the only non-hosting country participating in the collaboration. Creos works alongside 11 other European transmission system operators within the OTC, underlining Luxembourg’s role in shaping shared European solutions. The OTC was launched in 2022 to help translate Europe’s offshore ambitions into practical, technically grounded proposals, supporting the objectives set out in the Esbjerg Declaration (2022) and the Ostend Declaration (2023).

“As an importing country, Luxembourg has a strong interest in a coordinated European offshore strategy that supports efficient infrastructure development, fair cost allocation, and long-term benefits for all participating countries,” said Laurence Zenner, CEO of Creos. “Luxembourg may be a non-coastal country, but our energy system is deeply interconnected with our neighbors.”

Creos has contributed to the OTC’s work, including Expert Paper IV on cost sharing and financing, which focuses on practical frameworks for cross-border offshore infrastructure. The paper emphasizes transparent approaches that align costs with system benefits, offer investment certainty, and facilitate collaboration among participating countries. It also highlights the value of agreeing cost-sharing principles early and using a flexible financing toolbox to help projects move forward quickly and cost-effectively.

Luxembourg’s commitment to offshore cooperation was also demonstrated at the political level, with Prime Minister Luc Frieden and the Minister for the Economy and Energy, Lex Delles, attending the North Sea Summit in Hamburg.

By engaging in the OTC and wider European initiatives, Creos supports the development of an integrated offshore grid in the North Sea as a vital component of a resilient, climate-neutral European energy system, strengthening energy security and supporting the energy transition across Europe.

(Picture: Kati Jurischka; 50Hertz)

Press release: Creos supports integrated offshore grid development in the North Seas

FINAL Expert Paper IV Offshore TSO Collaboration 'Balancing costs, benefits and risks'