North Sea countries want to become the "Green Power Plant of Europe".

Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium sign offshore wind pact

Government representatives from the North Sea countries met in the Danish city of Esbjerg on 18 May to sign a cooperation agreement on the development of offshore wind energy and green hydrogen. Their target is at least 65 GW by 2030 and 150 GW by 2050. The reliable winds, shallow waters and proximity to industrial centres that consume a lot of electricity make the North Sea an ideal location for the construction of offshore wind farms.

"Today's agreement between the energy ministers is an important milestone in cross-border cooperation. It is the basis for the first real European power plants that also generate electricity from renewable energies," explained German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck. "Together with our partner countries, we can expand offshore wind energy in the North Sea region even faster and more efficiently and tap into new potential for green hydrogen," he said, adding that this would "further reduce our dependence on gas imports".

The agreement aims to increase offshore wind capacity in the region tenfold, with total private sector investment totalling €135 billion. Ultimately, this figure could be even higher, as the European Commission estimates that a total of €800bn of investment in offshore energy will be needed to meet the EU's 2050 target.

"The utilisation of wind and the North Sea has a long tradition in our countries," said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, former mayor of Hamburg, a hub for North Sea shipping. "We are making European history," tweeted Brian Vad Mathiesen, a renewable energy researcher at Denmark's Aalborg University. The agreement will provide electricity for more than 200 million households, he added.

At the same time, the four countries want to intensify cooperation in the production of "green" hydrogen from renewable electricity and expand the corresponding infrastructure in the region. Green hydrogen, a rare premium commodity, is highly sought after by steel manufacturers who want to produce carbon-neutral steel.

With Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium in favour of faster approval procedures, the North Sea seems to be an ideal candidate to become the first "go-to" zone for renewable energy in the EU.

Source: euractiv