The agreement was signed by ministers from Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland and the UK.
The aim is to build an electricity grid spanning European waters to make the supply of electricity more secure by making it easier to optimise offshore wind electricity production. The grid will also help the EU as a whole to meet its 2020 renewable energy target.
The initiative called “The North Seas Countries’ Offshore Grid Initiative” highlights the role offshore wind energy can play in meeting the EU’s 20-20-20 targets, and the benefits an integrated offshore gird can bring in terms of security of supply and market integration.
The agreement notes that the complexity of the initiative calls for improved multilateral collaboration, and recognises that this requires a common vision supported by ministers. The intention is to prepare at working level a strategic work plan in early 2010, with the aim of coordinating offshore infrastructure development. This would be enshrined in a memorandum of understanding to be signed later in 2010.
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