UK among 10 countries to build 100GW wind power grid in North Sea | Wind power
Britain and nine other European countries have agreed to build an offshore wind power grid in the North Sea in a landmark deal to transform the aging oil basin into a “clean energy reservoir”.
Countries will build offshore wind farms directly connected to multiple countries via high-voltage undersea cables, under plans expected to provide 100GW of offshore wind power, or enough electrical capacity to power 143 million homes.
The commitment to be included in the “Hamburg declaration” is expected to be signed by the energy ministers of the United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway on Monday.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK was “defending our national interests” by promoting clean energy and “moving away from the fossil fuel roller coaster”.
The deal comes less than a week after US president Donald Trump criticized Britain’s plans to phase out North Sea oil and gas production and complained about European wind energy.
He told the World Economic Forum in Davos last week: “There are windmills all over Europe. There are windmills everywhere and they are losing. What I have noticed is that the more windmills a country has, the more money that country loses and the worse off the country is.”
The latest agreement reaffirms Europe’s commitment to wind energy, after North Sea countries pledged three years ago to build 300GW of offshore wind in the region by 2050. The new offshore wind energy grid will contribute to this goal.
Miliband is also expected to sign a declaration of intent to open cross-border, overseas electricity projects with Germany, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands, focusing on joint planning and cost-sharing.
Energy UK, the industry’s UK trade association, said it fully supported “landmark efforts to transform the North Sea into a truly regional clean energy hub”.
Energy UK Chief Executive Dhara Vyas said: “This deeper collaboration on supply chains, standardization and shared infrastructure is not only a strategic necessity, it is the most effective way to reduce energy costs for households and businesses while driving sustainable economic growth and high-value jobs for years to come.”
Last year, wind and solar power surpassed fossil fuels in the EU’s energy production, producing 30% of the bloc’s electricity.
In the UK, the government this month handed out record subsidy contracts for offshore wind projects in support of its aim to create a clean electricity system by 2030.
