On Monday 24th of april, a coalition of nine countries gathered in Ostend, Belgium to discuss plans for a major green power plant and the expansion of offshore wind farm capacity in the North Sea.
Last year in May, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands signed the 'Esbjerg Declaration', aiming to create the largest sustainable energy plant in the North Sea. This agreement intends to address Europe's reliance on Russia for fossil fuel imports by promoting local energy production. Belgium, a leader in offshore wind turbine construction, is one of the signatories of the declaration.
The coalition has committed to raising the combined offshore wind farm capacity of the four countries to 65 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, and 150 GW by 2050, which would be enough to power 150 million households. On Monday, the coalition convened once more, with representatives from five new members – France, the UK, Ireland, Norway, and Luxembourg – joining the cooperative effort. The nine countries are now setting even higher goals, aiming to significantly boost the capacity to 134 GW by 2030 and over 300 GW by 2050. “Renewable energy is the answer to both the energy and climate challenges,” stated Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten.