North Seas region countries
(Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
Norway and Sweden) have today agreed to further strengthen their energy
cooperation.
The aim is to create good conditions for the development of offshore wind
energy in order to ensure a sustainable, secure and affordable energy supply in
the North Seas countries.
A political declaration and
action plan signed today by nine Ministers and Vice-President for Energy Union
Maroš Šefčovič and by Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias
Cañete, will also facilitate the building of missing electricity links, allow
more trading of energy and further integration of energy markets. Reinforcing
regional cooperation will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance
security of supply in the region. These are key objectives of the Energy Union.
Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said: "Today's
declaration is an important step towards an Energy Union that will deliver the
climate commitments we made in Paris last year. Close regional cooperation and
pooling together of energy sources will be essential to unlock the full
potential of the North Sea resources at the lowest cost."
Commissioner Arias Cañete said: "Today
marks a turning point in cooperation in the North Seas region. We now have a
concrete action plan that will deliver results. This strategy will boost
interconnection and renewables capacity, help fight climate change and bolster
energy security, which are the central goals of the Energy Union."
Energy cooperation between the
countries will focus on four main areas:
- Spatial planning will aim at
optimising the use of limited space in this intensively used sea. This will
include data sharing, finding common approaches to environmental impacts, and
the coordination of permitting procedures.
- The electricity grid has to
be developed so that it is able to accommodate large scale offshore wind
energy. Markets should be well connected to allow electricity to flow when and
where it is needed. The regional work in this field will include coordinated
grid planning and development, but also exploring potential synergies with the
offshore oil and gas sectors.
- In future participating
countries will share information about their individual offshore infrastructure
needs. This will help plan the investments as well as align support schemes and
mobilise investment capital for joint projects.
- The aim is to identify best
practices and ways to harmonise technical rules and standards across the
region. The cooperation also aims to reduce costs throughout the lifecycle of
generation facilities. To achieve this, the participating countries will work
towards mutual recognition of national standards.
Previous Commission studies have shown the potential
for up to €5.1 billion worth of savings when taking a coordinated approach to
offshore grid development. This is due to fewer and shorter cables being
required to connect offshore wind installations to land. There are also clear
benefits to further market integration, facilitated by new interconnectors.
Finally, gains could be realised by closer cooperation on environmental and
marine management with respect to infrastructure development.
The declaration was signed
today by Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The initiative remains open to the
participation of all countries with an interest in the North Seas.
For more information
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