Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium plan to work together to increase the offshore wind capacity in the North Sea to at least 150 gigawatts by 2050.
On Wednesday, representatives of the four countries are gathering for a summit in Esbjerg in Denmark to sign an agreement. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also be present.
“If we are to harvest all the wind that can be harvested in the North Sea, we will have to do it together. The North Sea can provide quite a lot, and that is also why this close cooperation is now being initiated,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told the newspaper Jyllands-Posten.
Covering half of the EU
Developing offshore wind farms that can produce 150 gigawatts will cost close to NOK 1.4 trillion but will also be able to supply around 230 million European households with green energy.
Around half of the EU’s inhabitants will thus be able to get electricity from offshore wind turbines, but the EU Commission has estimated that 300 gigawatts of offshore wind will be needed in the EU by 2050.
“Now, we’re (coming together to) say (that the) four countries can at least deliver half of this,” Frederiksen said.
Norwegian plan
Denmark has previously committed to supplying 35 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2050 but currently produces only 2.3 gigawatts at sea.
The Norwegian government recently launched a plan for the development of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. This is almost equivalent to the total Norwegian hydropower today.
“Development of offshore wind is extremely important, not only in the fight against climate change. It is also a crucial element in becoming independent of fossil fuels from Russia,” Ursula von der Leyen told Jyllands-Posten.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayFinance
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