UK re-engages with EU
Three years after leaving because of Brexit, the UK has re-joined an EU organisation to develop offshore wind in the North Sea.
The UK has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Commission and members of the North Sea Energy Cooperation (NSEC) to ‘re-engage’ following the departure of the UK from the EU.
The NSEC, which is comprised of representatives of nine EU countries, is a facilitator for coordinating the development of offshore wind and grids in the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Celtic Sea.
With the dire energy situation facing all nations, the move is aiming to strengthen energy security and provide affordable energy on the continent.
”To strengthen its energy security and ensure affordable electricity for European families and businesses, EU countries now want 110 GW of offshore wind by 2030,” says the association WindEurope.
”And the UK wants another 50 GW. They are and will remain the leading country in Europe on offshore wind. It’s a no-brainer that the EU and UK collaborate on how they build out and connect their offshore wind farms. Both sides get this and want to collaborate closely. Hence the MoU.”
“As the UK’s offshore wind fleet continues to expand rapidly in the North Sea, opportunities to work even closer with our European colleagues on sharing investments in infrastructure, building more interconnectors and protecting biodiversity will benefit everyone by enabling us to scale up on vital new deployment,” said RenewableUK CEO Dan McGrail.
”This will enable us to boost energy security in the UK and across Europe at a time when we need to move away from expensive imported gas as fast as possible.”
Cordi O’Hara, President of National Grid Ventures, said: “We warmly welcome the UK re-engaging with NSEC, because we need all North West European countries working together to harness the full clean energy potential of the North Sea.
“We now look forward to working with our partners to develop the next generation of hybrid projects, which will help to accelerate offshore wind while mitigating the impact of infrastructure on coastal communities.”
She adds: “But none of us can do this alone, so we must build on the strong platforms we have established to deliver an integrated offshore grid that will maximise benefits for consumers across Europe.”
Article shared by courtesy of Maritime Journal. www.maritimejournal.com
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