Wind energy associations welcome the agreement of the North Sea countries to promote offshore wind energy and the interconnection of the North Sea
Berlin, June 6, 2016. The agreement signed by the North Sea countries to promote offshore wind energy and the interconnection of the North Sea is heartily welcomed by wind energy associations and organizations from nine EU member states.
The North Sea countries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have adopted a three-year work program and established a clear governance structure. The four main fields of work are coordinated spatial planning in the North Sea, the development and regulation of networks and the required grid infrastructure, collaboration on designing the promotion and funding of offshore wind projects, and the harmonization of standards and guidelines between the involved member states.
Press Release of the European Commission
Download Political Declaration [PDF 196 KB]
Wind energy associations support this initiative and are ready to contribute to regional cooperation. Through close collaboration between government authorities and wind energy stakeholders, substantial progress and gains are to be made.
The German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation – together with the Danish Wind Industry Association, the Hellenic Wind Energy Association, the Irish Wind Energy Association, the Netherlands Wind Energy Association, the Norwegian Wind Energy Association, NOW Ireland and RenewableUK – has released a statement on this matter.
Download Associations' Statement [PDF 188 KB]
In addition, WindEurope published a declaration signed by important companies in the offshore wind industry to continue striving to reduce electricity generation costs. The declaration sets 8 cents per kWh as a target for investment decisions in 2025, with grid connection costs already included. To achieve this goal, an annual construction volume of 4 GW until 2025 will be needed.