European countries aim to build 300 GW of offshore wind in the North Sea by 2050

Nine European countries signed the Ostend Declaration on 24 April, aiming to jointly build at least 120 GW of offshore wind capacity in the North Sea by 2030 and at least 300 GW by 2050. These are quite ambitious targets, given that the EU currently has 200 GW of installed wind capacity, of which just 15 GW is offshore.

The original version of the declaration, signed by Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, focused on producing 150 GW of electricity in the North Sea region by 2050. The latest changes add five more countries and double the target, the news website euractiv.com reports.

At a press conference ahead of the signing, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called the summit a “milestone” and welcomed the new countries on board – Ireland, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Strengthening European energy security comes first

The declaration directly refers to Russia’s invasion, which has brought a range of negative impacts on the European energy sector. By building wind farms, countries hope to increase energy self-sufficiency, reduce fossil fuel consumption and, not least, cut dependence on Russian energy supplies.