Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have partnered with the European Commission (EC) and launched a joint plan for offshore wind tenders. The announcement happened at the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) in the Hague.

The collective NSEC tender planning will drive the goals of each nation into a structured process, auctioning approximately 15GW each year and rewarding nearly 100GW from now until 2030. The move comes as the Netherlands finalises its NSEC co-presidency, during which the government’s goal was to implement a set of regional actions focusing on national targets in Europe.

Kadri Simon, the EC for Energy, explains that Europe’s energy mix is becoming cleaner and greener, and offshore renewables will have a critical contribution to our future energy mix. According to Simon, the North Sea is leading the way in deploying clean energy and can become a green energy leader in Europe. The recent discussions emphasise the commitment and goals to deliver on our offshore goals and to take the necessary action to drive competition in this industry. Simon praised the Netherlands for hosting the meeting in the Hague and for the work they delivered under the NSEC co-presidency.

According to the EC, creating a joint tender plan will strengthen the predictability of the wind industry and enable better collaboration. For example, it will support better cooperation on infrastructure like cables, pipes, ports and access to resources. This process will support the European wind industry with its long-term financial planning.

The countries will enhance plans for infrastructure development at sea. In January 2024, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) will release a joint plan for infrastructure in the North Sea, with input from NSEC countries. These measures represent a critical step towards delivering an integrated energy system in Europe by 2050. This plan will consider the need for a fair balance with other industries and users within the North Sea, like the fisheries and transport sectors. The predictability in the offshore wind industry was one of the main factors of the new port study carried out by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and Royal Haskoning DHV for NSEC.

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