Offshore Energy Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainable Energy Transition in the Baltic Sea Region

Abstract

Offshore renewable energy development supports Europe’s decarbonization strategy, but its contribution depends on infrastructure performance and governance. This study examines these relationships in the Baltic Sea region through a structured narrative review with targeted documentary evidence extraction. Resilience denotes the capacity to maintain, recover, and adapt essential functions under disruption. Searches of public operator, institutional and publisher resources were completed on 12 September 2026. A traceable core of 26 records, including operator notices, policy instruments, technical studies and SDG frameworks, was selected for direct regional or analytical relevance; background literature was retained separately. Evidence was organized under system stability, governance coherence and sustainability outcomes, distinguishing observations, model outputs and policy provisions. EstLink 2 notices document lost transfer capacity and lengthy repairs without implying immediate system-wide supply failure. Hybrid connections and regional grid planning illustrate potential benefits of integration, while offshore maintenance research provides asset-level findings, not evidence of improved system-wide resilience. The efficiency–vulnerability paradox is formulated as a conditional proposition: shared dependencies may offset integration benefits where substitution and recovery resources are insufficient. The review links these mechanisms to SDGs 7, 9, 13, 14 and 16, including ecological trade-offs. It supports incorporating recoverability and coordination into sustainability assessment, without claiming causal identification or measured regional SDG effects.