EU Nations Promise to Double Offshore Wind Targets

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Nine European countries have banded together to jointly back the creation of 120 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind in the North Sea by 2030 and at least 300 GW by 2050.

Gathered at the second North Sea Summit in Ostend, Belgium, the new declaration adds five countries to the alliance and doubles the pledge from last year's summit to build 65 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 150 GW by 2050. It was signed by the original members Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands alongside new countries Ireland, France, Luxembourg, Norway and the U.K. The announcement comes as Europe attempts to accelerate its transition to cleaner energy, reduce its reliance on fossil fuels from Russia and secure future energy supplies.

"Underlining that energy security and the fight against climate change are crucial to the future of Europe, we need to strengthen our cooperation to ensure affordable, secure and sustainable energy, while at the same time, continuing our efforts to protect the marine ecosystem," the alliance stated. "In response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine and attempts of energy blackmail against Europe we will accelerate our efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption as well as dependence on fossil fuel imports and promote the rapid upscaling."

"We have to make sure [Vladimir] Putin no longer has the means to exert pressure on us by turning off the gas tap, and producing clean energy is the best way to achieve this," said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, attending the Ostend event. "The enormous potential of the North Sea region is indispensable here".

In addition to working on the creation of a strategic integrated offshore network development plan for the North Sea, which will include enhanced cross-border coordination of grid and maritime spatial planning, each country has outlined their own commitments:

• Belgium will establish 6 GW offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 8 GW by 2040.
• Denmark will enable the deployment of at least 5.3 GW total offshore wind capacity in the North Sea in 2030 with a view towards up to 35 GW in the North Sea by 2050 and potentially more depending on European demand for green power.
• France aims at establishing at least 2.1 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 4.6-17 GW by 2050 in the North Sea and Eastern Channel.
• Germany will establish at least 26.4 GW offshore wind by 2030 and 66 GW by 2045 in the North Sea.
• Ireland will establish at least 4.5 GW offshore wind by 2030 and 20 GW by 2050 in the North Sea.
• Luxembourg aims to contribute to the materialization of the combined offshore wind targets pursued by the co-signatories of this declaration by using dedicated cooperation mechanisms allowing the financial participation in offshore wind projects providing renewable energy statistics in return.
• Norway aims to establish at least 3 GW of offshore wind by 2030, including 1.5 GW of floating wind, and will award areas that are suitable for 30 GW offshore wind by 2040.
• The Netherlands will establish about 21 GW offshore wind capacity by around 2030 and study whether 50 GW in 2040 and 72 GW in 2050 is feasible considering physical space, ecological impact and sufficient demand.
• The United Kingdom aims to establish up to 50 GW offshore wind by 2030. This will include up to 5 GW of floating wind. The United Kingdom also aims to establish at least 18 GW interconnection capacity by 2030.

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