The North Sea is emerging as a central scenario in the future European energy map. The Heads of State and Government of nine countries in the region pledged yesterday in Ostend (Belgium) to transform this space into "the largest green power plant in the world" through a clear commitment to wind energy.
"In recent months we have seen what happens when we are too dependent on other countries for the supply of energy," recalled the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, host of the meeting, alluding to the consequences of the war in Ukraine for the supply of Russian gas to Europe. The latest studies on the progress of climate change are another of the elements evoked in the Belgian port city to bet on "joining forces" in northern Europe in favor of renewable energy.
"Together we will develop the North Sea as a green power station in Europe, an offshore renewable energy system that will connect our countries" through a common commitment to "hybrid" projects that allow the production of wind energy and green hydrogen, in addition to promoting storage projects of carbon, affirms the declaration, which opens the door for countries without access to the sea to co-finance projects in this region, as Luxembourg has done in collaboration with Denmark, for example.
The four founding countries of the so-called North Sea coalition (Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium) have now been joined by France, Ireland, Norway and Luxembourg (the Grand Duchy, they say, is "virtually" a coastal country). , with the UK represented at ministerial level. Its goal is to develop “at least” 120 gigawatts (GW) of energy in 2030 – four times more than its current capacity – and 300 GW in 2050, a sufficient amount to cover the consumption of 300 million homes.
The objectives agreed in Ostend duplicate those that were raised a year ago at the first North Sea summit in Esbjerg (Denmark), but the purpose of the new meeting was to provide the means to move "from words to action". In other words, promoting the development of projects by standardizing administrative processes and technical specifications, as well as reinforcing the supply chain and “synchronizing” between the different countries so as not to overwhelm the current capacities of the European industry.
The artificial island that Belgium will begin to build next year 45 kilometers from Ostend is destined to play a fundamental role in this new European electricity market. The infrastructure, unique in the world, bears the name of Princess Elisabeth and aims to become an electrical center to which different wind farms can be connected to work in a network and thus reinforce the security of energy supply for the entire region. Projects already under development such as the Nautilus connection between Belgium and the United Kingdom, the Triton Link between Belgium and Denmark, or the Celtic Interconnector that will connect Ireland and France are some of the projects that should benefit from the "common vision" promoted by this coalition. of the North Sea, which also intends to find a balance between "the needs of economic and ecological development".
However, as a result of the energy crisis and inflation, last year Europe recorded the lowest investment in wind power in the last ten years. The challenges are enormous. Currently, the industry only has the capacity to add 7GW of capacity a year and to reach the 2030 target, that figure should be 22GW a year, warned the European association of companies specializing in wind energy, Wind Europe. "Public support will be needed" to solve current supply chain problems, encourage investment and strengthen terrestrial power grids.
The protests by environmental groups and collectives such as fishermen, or the tensions between Belgium and France as a result of Paris's plans to build a large offshore wind platform in Dunkerque, just ten kilometers from the Belgian coast, give an idea of how conflictive these projects can become. “When planning parks it is important to talk, I am confident that we will come up with a solution,” De Croo said, looking at French President Emmanuel Macron.
The North Sea "has the potential to produce massive amounts of green hydrogen and become the main import corridor", it can "change the rules of the game for Europe", stressed the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, present in Ostend to show European support for this initiative, which coincides with the less advanced plans to develop a hydrogen corridor also from southern Europe, from Spain and Portugal to France.
Countries in the region have committed to strengthening the protection of marine and underwater infrastructure in the North Sea, from power lines and internet cables to gas pipelines, and to exchange information systematically in collaboration with the EU and NATO. "We will react effectively to the growing threats," reads the statement, signed a few days after the Nordic media revealed that there are Russian ships that sail with the transponder turned off while identifying the location of key infrastructure in this region.
