The European countries of the North Sea, meeting at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg on Monday 26 January, agreed to produce 100 GW of offshore wind energy through joint clean energy projects, which could take the form of offshore wind farms directly connected to several countries by interconnectors.
This commitment is part of the Hamburg Declaration signed by the energy ministers of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom.
In Ostend in 2023, the North Sea countries pledged to build 300 GW of offshore wind turbines in the North Sea by 2050, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the instrumentalisation of Europe’s energy resources (see EUROPE 13168/14). With this new declaration, the signatories aim to develop up to a third of this target (100 GW), through cooperation projects.
As a first step, the declaration welcomes “the existing plans of the Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and project developers to implement cooperation projects of up to 20 GW in the 2030s”.
Grids. The declaration also emphasises cross-border planning and coordination for the development of networks in the sea basin.
The signatories welcome, among other things, the new European Grids Package presented on 10 December, in particular the measures to simplify and speed up the procedures for granting permits for all grid infrastructure and renewable energy projects, storage and recharging stations (see EUROPE 13773/11).
Financing Framework. The declaration reiterates that a coordinated approach across the sea basin, including links with the UK and Channel Islands, entails “voluntary and nationally agreed financing arrangements, as well as mutually accepted cost-benefit sharing principles, between hosting and potentially non-hosting countries”.
To meet these needs, the signatories say they are working to create the Offshore Financing Framework (OFF) for cooperation projects.
This framework will be based in particular on that of the Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) and the identification of projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest, “to support the cooperative planning and financing of projects aligned to the North Seas offshore wind cooperation ambitions”.
Hydrogen. The signatory countries also stress the need for a long-term strategy to combine offshore wind and hydrogen projects in the North Sea, “in areas where it has demonstrated cost-effectiveness and provides value to the energy system”.
They are therefore inviting the Hydrogen Networks for the North Seas (HyNOS) and the Offshore Transmission System Operators Collaboration (OTC) to draw up a ‘roadmap’ for the joint and coordinated planning of offshore energy networks by the next summit.
Security. Emphasis is also being placed on maritime safety and the cyber security of energy infrastructures, with more security planning and crisis management.
“We need to strengthen our cooperation and improve collaboration between operators and safety authorities through more frequent joint exercises”, said Germany’s Energy Minister Katherina Reiche at a press conference.
Joint Investment Pact. In addition, the countries signed a Joint Offshore Wind Investment Pact for the North Seas with the wind industry and the Transmission System Operators (TSOs) of the electricity and hydrogen networks, with a view to the EU’s forthcoming tripartite sectoral agreement on offshore wind and electricity networks.
Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK also signed a declaration of intent to unblock cross-border offshore electricity projects, focusing on joint planning, cost sharing and market agreements to speed up delivery.
Bornholm wind farm. The summit also saw the signing of a joint declaration of intent between the United Kingdom and Germany, and an agreement between Denmark and Germany on cost-sharing for the development of the Bornholm wind farm (‘Bornholm Energy Island'). The Danish and German ministers will have to work together over the coming months to bring the tender to a successful conclusion.
As a project forming part of the ‘Energy Highways’ presented by the European Commission, the European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jørgensen, welcomed this step forward.
“At a time when some prefer to back to fossil fuels and turn their back to the huge potential of offshore wind and renewable energy, Europe stands firm in its choice of home-grown clean energy”, he praised.
To see the statements: https://aeur.eu/f/kf7 (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)