On November 19, the second major event of ERC 2026 will take place at Jaarbeurs Utrecht. Titled "Going Further Together," this event explores how partnerships drive progress at every stage of development—from early-stage innovation to projects currently under construction or already in operation. We will discuss the immense impact of collaboration; only by joining forces, sharing risks, and designing integrated systems can we truly move forward together.

Through a program of plenary sessions and breakout groups, we are bringing the sector together to advance collectively. For this edition, the ERC focus groups for Offshore Wind and Hydrogen are joining forces for a session on "Offshore Energy." The North Sea plays a pivotal role in the energy transition, and all related initiatives are part of a complex system; in this session, we will examine both the big picture and the finer details.

We will look at offshore wind-to-hydrogen conversion, the impact of subsidies, and the role of both existing and new pipeline infrastructure—covering developments in the Netherlands as well as in other North Sea nations.

This session aims to sharpen your understanding of the offshore energy system, and we look forward to your questions and input during the discussions.

Topics that will be discussed during the session:
1) from offshore gas infrastructure to hydrogen infrastructure,
2) having connected offshore infrastructure to transport the hydrogen to shore and
3) using wind power to produce hydrogen offshore.

After introducing presentations on key developments on infrastructure development, extension of NOGAT and future connections to Norway, Denmark and Germany and the connection between HyONE (Gasunie) and Aquaductus (Gascase), we will have an update on the plans of CIP to produce green hydrogen from the future IJmuidenVer wind development.

This will be followed by a panel discussion and interactive Q&A session with the audience.