Meeting today (12 September 2022) in Ireland at a Ministerial North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) summit, energy ministers from nine countries have agreed to set ambitious new targets for offshore wind capacity
Ministers have agreed a long-term target of at least 260 GW of offshore wind by 2050, with intermediate targets of 193 GW by 2040 and 76 GW of offshore wind by 2030. This constitutes more than 85% of the European Union-wide target of 300 GW by 2050, as set out in the EU offshore renewables strategy.
Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the European Commission are currently members of the NSEC, since the withdrawal of the UK from the EU on 31 January 2020.
In a declaration agreed at the summit, Ministers from the above-mentioned countries highlighted the importance of ‘developing a common offshore resource’ in view of the effects of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the effect of the invasion on energy markets, energy security and prices.
Ministers also initialled a North Sea Offshore Grids agreement that will enable ENTSO-E, the European association for the cooperation of transmission system operators for electricity, to prepare in 2023 a strategic offshore network development plan for the period to 2050.
NSEC will also seek the development with members states of hybrid offshore wind projects.
