Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium Sign an Offshore Wind Agreement Worth €135 Billion
The heads of government of Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark met in Esbjerg, Denmark on Wednesday, May 18, with the intent of becoming the "Green Power Plant of Europe". Through this collaboration on offshore wind development and green hydrogen, the aim is to target 65 GW by 2030 and 150 GW by 2050.
The North Sea is ideally suited for the building of offshore wind farms due to its consistent winds, shallow oceans, and closeness to industrial hubs with high power consumption.
"Today’s agreement by 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" explains Germany’s 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 new potential for green hydrogen" he said, and this in order to "further reduce our dependence on gas imports."
The private sector is estimated to invest a total of €135 billion in offshore wind energy capacity expansion in the area. The European Commission calculated that a total offshore energy expenditure of €800 billion was required to satisfy the EU's 2050 goal.
"We are writing European history!" tweeted Brian Vad Mathiesen, a renewable energy researcher at Denmark’s Aalborg University. According to him, the agreement will provide electricity to more than 200 million homes.
The four countries intend to collaborate even more in the production of "green" hydrogen from renewable energy, with plans to enhance regional infrastructure. The wind farm project being implemented by the four countries should be a sufficient provider of hydrogen supply. Green hydrogen is highly coveted by many industries, especially steelmakers.
"By harvesting the abundant offshore wind resources of the North Sea, we can also pave the way for the hydrogen economy. Offshore wind power frequently generates more electricity than is needed" wrote Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson and Danish Energy Minister Dan Jørgensen in an op-ed for EURACTIV.
In accordance with the 'REPowerEU' plan released yesterday by the European Commission, the four nations also emphasized the need to "accelerate" EU-level permitting procedures.
They also expressed their intention for the North Sea to become the "go-to" zone for renewables.
The EU executive intends to simplify procedures by declaring new wind and solar projects to be of "overriding public interest" and by introducing "go-to" regions in zones with little environmental risk.
Source : Euractiv
