Energy ministers from four EU countries have unveiled plans to create the "Green Power Plant of Europe" in the North Sea as the continent steps up its efforts to cut emissions and reduce reliance on Russian gas imports.
Middelgrunden offshore wind farm
The Middelgrunden offshore wind farm outside Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo: Lars Plougmann / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands pledged to build as many as four artificial islands in the North Sea where wind turbines would produce energy, some of which could be turned into hydrogen.
Read more: German project could see drones servicing offshore wind farms
The quartet said they intend to quadruple offshore wind output in the North Sea - previously a major hub for oil and gas - to 65 GW by 2030, equivalent to the capacity of 30 nuclear reactors.
One of the artificial islands, BrintØ, which translates literally as "Hydrogen Island", would be established in the Danish North Sea and could convert 10 GW of offshore wind power into hydrogen. The project was proposed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a fund management company.
“The Danish, German, Dutch, and Belgian ambitions for the North Sea show the rest of the world how the green transition can be turbocharged if you dare to think big, internationally and in integrated systems," said Thomas Dalsgaard, Partner at CIP.
"Green energy will be harvested on a large scale-out at sea, tied together by energy islands, converted into green hydrogen, and transported across borders via offshore hydrogen infrastructure. The opportunities are significant, and the Danish BrintØ is the first step in that direction."
In February 2021, Denmark announced it had approved proposals to construct an artificial energy island in its North Sea waters, its biggest-ever construction project. The island, named VindØ, would have an initial capacity of 3 GW offshore wind by 2033 and would connect with Belgium and Denmark.
Read more: Denmark gives go-ahead to huge North Sea energy island
In May 2021, Belgium revealed a similar project of its own. This multi-functional energy island would connect the country's wind turbines, allow for the storage and production of green hydrogen, and act as an international interconnector. It is expected that the tender for the project will be awarded by the end of the year.
Transmission cables connecting offshore wind to land constitute one of the most expensive parts of such projects. Connecting such wind farms to artificial islands, where the energy is collected and converted into green hydrogen would significantly cut the costs of cabling. With much of the best close-to-shore sites having been already taken, future offshore wind projects will be built ever further into the sea, further driving up cabling costs.
Germany is also looking at the possibility of building energy islands and a feasibility study is currently being conducted by CIP and Allianz Investment Management. According to CIP, the country has some of the best natural conditions in the world for offshore wind with a combination of relatively low water depth and high wind speeds.
The Netherlands is looking at ways of connecting the Danish islands with its own energy hub and also ways to produce green hydrogen offshore. The country is also set to establish at least 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030, bringing it up to 40 GW by 2035 and 70 GW by 2045.
In a statement, the four countries said they would coordinate the development of the islands and continue to develop energy-sharing deals.
Read more: Belgium plans North Sea energy storage island for 2025
"We will begin planning for multiple energy hubs and islands by undertaking a screening of the potential for offshore wind, and where relevant green hydrogen production, in our entire North Sea territory," said the statement.
The potential for offshore wind in the North Sea has become especially more attractive for many European leaders in light of the war in Ukraine, which has seen energy prices skyrocket. Even so, the artificial islands and offshore wind farms will take up to a decade to complete. The EU has even said it may have to increase coal consumption to replace Russian gas.
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