UK to join major wind farm project with eight European countries

The UK, alongside eight other European countries including Norway, Germany and the Netherlands, is set to support a large fleet of offshore wind projects in the North Sea.

The government says the deal will strengthen energy security by offering an escape from what it calls the “fossil fuel roller coaster”.

For the first time, some of the new wind farms will be connected to more than one country via undersea cables known as interconnectors, which supporters say will lower prices across the region.

However, this may be controversial as wind farm operators may shop between countries to sell electricity to the highest bidder, potentially increasing electricity prices when supply is tight.

At a meeting on the future of the North Sea in Hamburg, Germany, on Monday, Energy Minister Ed Miliband will sign a statement pledging to complete the plan by 2050.

Jane Cooper, deputy chief executive of industry body RenewableUK, said the deal would “reduce costs for bill payers” and would also “significantly improve the energy security of the UK and the entire North Sea region”.

But shadow energy minister Claire Countinho warned: “We cannot escape the fact that the rush to build wind farms at breakneck speed is driving up everyone’s energy bills.”

A network of undersea cables already connects the power grids of European countries – the UK has 10 such cables – but connecting wind farms directly to more than one country would be a first.

Most energy economists agree that greater connections between the UK and other European grids should reduce costs and improve security of supply.

The UK National Grid published an article earlier this month He argues that such a regulation could reduce so-called constraint payments made when wind farms are asked not to produce energy because the electricity grid is too congested.

A separate report said: UK consumers saved £1.6bn on nine existing subsea cables We have been connecting England to Europe since 2023.

National Grid said the cables helped smooth price spikes because, due to time zone differences, excess energy produced elsewhere during off-peak hours could be sold cheaply to the UK.

But interconnectors have proven controversial in Norway, where there are concerns that selling electricity to foreign countries could reduce supply to Norwegian customers and therefore increase the price they pay.

To stop this, the government introduced new rules restricting electricity exports where domestic supply could be at risk.

Norway also did not allow the construction of a new interconnection to Scotland.

NATO and the European Commission are also attending the summit, which is expected to include commitments to strengthen the security of offshore energy infrastructure at a time when concerns about sabotage and unsafe maritime activities are increasing.

The deal underlines Europe’s commitment to wind energy, despite renewed criticism from US President Donald Trump, who again attacked what he called “windmills” in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

North Sea countries pledge to develop 300 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity three years ago. This new agreement means that 100 GW of the total will be built jointly. 20 GW of this is expected to continue by 2030.

China currently leads the world in offshore wind with 43 GW of the world’s 83 GW of installed capacity, according to a report published last year by industry body RenewableUK.

The UK comes in second with almost 16GW currently in operation. The UK government has signed a contract for an additional 20 GW of projects. 8.4GW agreed in a record-breaking bidding round earlier this month.

The government has been criticized by the Conservatives for “fixing” high offshore wind prices.

Reform has also repeatedly attacked the cost of net zero, but the Liberal Democrats and Greens support expanding renewables to tackle the threat of climate change and boost green jobs.

The SNP and Plaid Cymru also support the growth of offshore wind but argue Scotland and Wales should retain control of their energy supplies.

Additional reporting by Miho Tanaka.