The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands will meet today in the Port of Esbjerg (Denmark).
They will sign a declaration on a common vision for offshore wind and related infrastructure in the North Sea. The Summit takes place on the very same day the EU presents the REPowerEU Action Plan, its strategic plan to wean Europe off Russian fossil fuel imports and accelerate the expansion of renewables. Von der Leyen’s presence in Esbjerg underlines how central the expansion of wind energy is for Europe’s energy system.
To strengthen Europe’s energy security, REPowerEU wants wind energy to grow from 190 GW today to 480 GW in 2030. This requires the simplification of permitting and concerted action to strengthen Europe’s wind energy supply chain. It also requires massive investments in offshore grid infrastructure, port facilities and vessels.
To reach climate neutrality by 2050 offshore wind needs to grow from 15 GW in the EU today to 300 GW by 2050. Over the same period the EU wants onshore wind to grow from 173 GW to 1000 GW.