Waves of energy to complement offshore wind in the North Sea: A Joint Statement on the North Sea Summit & Esbjerg Declaration
18.05.2022
The outcome of The North Sea Summit gathering the heads of the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and the European Commission is a decisive and historic step. It paves the way for green energy production amongst the democracies sharing the marine space of the North Sea.
We encourage both the Danish and Dutch governments and parliaments to also integrate wave energy in the energy strategy for the North Sea region by setting both national and regional deployment targets. Targets will accelerate and streamline the integration of wave energy into the offshore renewables mix.
Wave energy is a central part of Europe and the North Sea region’s future renewable energy system. The EU’s Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy includes a 40 GW target for ocean energy and highlights the North Sea as a renewable energy hotspot. And adding wave energy aligns well with the vision for the North Sea Marine Spatial Plan and can count on stakeholder support from other sea space users.
Wave energy is a natural partner to offshore wind and solar energy, since the production peaks at different times. This enables better balancing of electricity supply and demand.
The North Sea has the potential to becoming a powerhouse and showcase of combined wind, wave, solar and other uses – while protecting our shared ocean space and offering sustainable growth opportunities for coastal economies. Deployment targets will help the North Sea Region to secure an important share of an estimated €140bn of ocean energy economic activity and an associated 500.000 new jobs.
Together we will work for the prosperity of our shared sea basins, and the reduction of carbon emissions by offering wave energy as a caretaking friend to complementary offshore renewables and the well-being of our oceans in the North Sea region.