North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) comprising nine countries, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, along with the European Commission, adopted a comprehensive action agenda during their meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, on Monday.
The collaborative effort outlines the commitment of NSEC countries to achieve a minimum of 76 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, escalating to 193 GW by 2040 and an ambitious 260 GW by 2050.
Rob Jetten, the Netherlands's Minister for Climate and Energy, emphasized the necessity of close collaboration, stating, “Close collaboration is the only way to successfully reach our energy ambitions. Today we start with the joint actions to take the sector to the next phase.”
The NSEC members expressed their support for the European Commission's recent Wind Power Package, pledging active engagement with its initiatives. WindEurope welcomed the action agenda, noting its alignment with the Wind Power Package's outlined actions, particularly focusing on enhancing auction design and reinforcing pre-qualification criteria.
As part of the concerted effort, NSEC also unveiled a joint offshore wind tender planning initiative aimed at enhancing project demand visibility and fostering collaboration within the sector. The Dutch government anticipates auctioning around 15 GW annually, with nearly 100 GW set to be awarded between 2023 and 2030.
A pivotal move towards establishing an integrated energy system is expected with the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) publishing a shared plan for North Sea infrastructure in January 2024.
The joint commitment and coordinated actions outlined in the agenda underscore a collective dedication to advancing offshore wind capacity across the North Seas, contributing to the broader European clean energy objectives.
