North Seas region countries have signed an energy cooperation declaration focussing on the development of cost effective offshore wind and wave renewable energy.
The ‘Political Declaration on Energy Cooperation between the North Seas Countries’, supported by the European Commission, has a particular focus on renewables and smart grid development.
The key objective of the North Seas energy cooperation is to enhance coordination and integration of national efforts of renewables deployment in addition to grid planning, according to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources of Ireland (DCENR).
This aims to reduce the costs of renewable energy and grid development and remove barriers to investment, which contributes to achieving climate goals and the EU-wide target of 27% renewable energy by 2030.
Denis Naughten , Ireland’s Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, said: “Ireland has the best offshore energy potential in Europe but we need to work with our colleagues across the EU to turn this potential into electricity. While we are at the leading edge ocean energy research, we can always benefit from closer cooperation with our EU neighbours, not just in ensuring that we use the most cost effective solutions to produce off shore energy but also to get this green electricity onto the European electricity grid.”
The long term goal of the cooperation is to attract private investments in the development of the North Seas as a sustainable and regionally optimised energy system.
The declaration was signed by Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.