BRUSSELS, March 30 (UPI) -- A new study commissioned by the European Union will look at connecting offshore wind parks to the electric grid.
The researchers have been asked to study the feasibility of a transmission connection as well as other ways to deal with wind's intermittent power without an expensive and complicated electricity storage component.
All the countries along the North Sea, including Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom, will take part in the study that will test the idea of a gas-insulated power transmission technology from Siemens.
The transmission network would supply power from the offshore wind parks to European cities with high energy demand like Hamburg, Rotterdam and London via underground cables.
Conventional cables aren't equipped to handle the intermittent power supply, and the new lines from Siemens may be better able to handle the high power.
The EU-funded project will last about three years. It's expected to help the EU meet its energy goals of efficiency and secure supply.
