European countries pledge huge expansion of North Sea wind farms

Nine European countries have pledged to multiply the capacity of offshore wind farms in the North Sea by eight times current levels before 2050, turning it into what Belgium’s energy minister called “Europe’s biggest green power plant”.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, announced the plan with the prime ministers of Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark and Luxembourg.

Norway’s prime minister and Britain’s energy security minister, Grant Shapps, also committed at the summit in Ostend, Belgium, on Monday to build more wind farms, develop “energy islands” – connected renewable generation sites at sea – and work on carbon capture projects.

Nine European countries have pledged to multiply the capacity of offshore wind farms in the North Sea by eight times current levels before 2050, turning it into what Belgium’s energy minister called “Europe’s biggest green power plant”.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, announced the plan with the prime ministers of Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark and Luxembourg.

Norway’s prime minister and Britain’s energy security minister, Grant Shapps, also committed at the summit in Ostend, Belgium, on Monday to build more wind farms, develop “energy islands” – connected renewable generation sites at sea – and work on carbon capture projects.

Source: The Guardian