Hamburg Declaration promises to deliver major offshore wind projects
North Sea countries have signed a new agreement to bolster energy security by delivering 100 GW in offshore wind energy. Agreed yesterday (26th January) at the Future of the North Seas Summit, the pact which is known as the Hamburg Declaration has been signed by the UK, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Norway. The declaration promises to enhance co-operation and accelerate efforts to turn the North Sea into the world’s largest clean energy reservoir.
The signing of the Hamburg Declaration marks a shift in how offshore wind will be deployed across Europe. The plans include new ‘offshore wind hybrid assets’, wind farms at sea that are directly connected to more than one country through interconnectors. It means that rather than a patchwork of national projects competing for seabed, grid access, and capital, the ten countries will jointly deliver 100 GW of offshore wind through cross-border projects.
The signatories have committed to delivering a more evenly distributed offshore wind tender pipeline between 2031 and 2040 across the North Sea, contributing to a European installation capacity of up to 15 GW per year, along with a pledge to de-risk offshore wind investment. In return, industry pledges cost reductions, 91,000 additional jobs and the generation of €1 trillion in economic activity.
Commenting on the agreement in a press release UK Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, has said:
“We are standing up for our national interest by driving for clean energy, which can get the UK off the fossil fuel rollercoaster and give us energy sovereignty and abundance. After our record renewables auction, we today went further by signing a clean energy security pact with European allies to ensure we maximise the clean energy potential for the North Sea.[i]”
Germany’s Economy Minister Katherina Reiche noted: “By planning expansion grids and industry together and implementing them across borders we are creating clean and affordable energy, strengthening our industrial base and increasing Europe’s strategic sovereignty.”
North Sea ambition
According to data from industry body WindEurope, presently 37 GW of offshore wind capacity has been installed across 13 European countries. However, they stress that until now deployment has been dragged down by sub-optimal auction design, increased costs of capital and lack of visibility for the supply chain, due to an uncertain project pipeline[ii].
It is hoped that the new agreement will address many of these challenges. Furthermore, the Hamburg Declaration will form a crucial part of the wider North Sea ambition to reach 300 GW of offshore wind by 2050. This target was set back in 2023 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the aim being to completely reduce reliance on gas imports.
In a statement WindEurope CEO Malgosia Bartosik commented: “Government cooperation on offshore wind buildout can help crowd in €1trillion of investments in the next decade. This is the best possible response to those who doubt Europe. And our drive to deliver energy that is homegrown, secure and affordable”[iii]
References
[i] UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future - GOV.UK
[iii] Ibid
