Britain and eight European nations have committed to delivering 100 gigawatts of jointly developed offshore wind power, in what ministers are describing as a historic step towards energy sovereignty amid growing global instability.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband signed the Hamburg Declaration at the Future of the North Seas Summit on Monday, alongside counterparts from Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
The agreement marks the first time North Sea countries have pledged to deliver a specific portion of their offshore wind ambitions through collaborative cross-border projects. Three years ago, the same nations committed to building 300GW of offshore wind capacity in the North Sea by 2050, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent weaponisation of European energy supplies.
Under the new pact, countries will develop “offshore wind hybrid assets” — wind farms at sea connected to multiple nations via interconnectors, enabling clean power to be sent where it is needed most.
Mr Miliband said Britain was “standing up for our national interest” by pursuing clean energy as a route off “the fossil fuel rollercoaster”. He added that the declaration would help maximise the North Sea’s potential as a source of secure, abundant power.
The summit follows the UK’s record-breaking renewable energy auction earlier this month, which secured 8.4GW of offshore wind capacity — the largest such auction in European history. The Government says the auction will unlock 7,000 jobs and drive £22 billion in private sector investment into British factories and ports.
Further agreements announced at the summit include a statement of intent between the UK, Germany, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands to progress cross-border offshore electricity projects, with a focus on joint planning and cost-sharing arrangements.
Industry figures welcomed the declaration. Jane Cooper, Deputy Chief Executive of RenewableUK, said the announcement would “increase the energy security of the UK and the whole of the North Sea region significantly.”
Dhara Vyas, Chief Executive of Energy UK, said delivering 100GW of joint projects by 2050 would require “relentless focus” on UK-EU alignment.
