Transmission system operator TenneT has launched a market consultation to help support the development of five 2GW-rated connection systems for future offshore wind farms in waters off the Netherlands and Germany.
The consultation for the grid connections, which will feature topsides weighing around to 20,000 tonnes, is separate to an ongoing front-end engineering design study for the links, TenneT said.
All five platforms are due to be connected between 2028 and 2030.
Two of the platforms will be used to bring power to shore from the 4GW Ijmuiden Ver sites off the Netherlands, which will be auctioned off to developers between 2023 and 2025.
The remaining three, dubbed Betawin1, Betawin2 and LanWin3 will bring power from future German wind farms to shore.
TenneT said it is possible further platforms of a similar size and weight will be needed beyond 2030.