Energy ministers from nine North Sea-region states this week met in Hamburg pledging to make offshore wind Europe’s “path to true independence”.
Signed on Monday, the “Hamburg Declaration” commits Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK to cooperate on developing 100GW of North Sea generating capacity by 2050, starting with 20GW in the 2030s.
Ministers pledged better cross-border finance and planning to de-risk cross-border grids and strengthen the energy system against physical, cyber or hybrid attacks. The goal is to shrink Europe’s dependence on fossil fuel imports.
The European Commission, which is participating along with Nato, said the move “comes against the backdrop of a changing geopolitical landscape, high energy costs and severe impact of climate change”.
‘Choose independence’
EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, said: “In these turbulent geopolitical times, Europe must stand strong and united — and choose independence.
“That means doubling down on clean, safe, home-grown energy. It means building on our natural strengths, and few are greater than the North Sea and its vast offshore wind potential.
“It means strengthening our interconnections so that affordable energy can flow freely across our continent. And it means securing our industrial leadership while guaranteeing our security. This is Europe’s path to true independence.”
UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “We are standing up for our national interest by driving for clean energy, which can get the UK off the fossil fuel rollercoaster and give us energy sovereignty and abundance.”
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