The North Seas Cooperation is a cooperation on offshore wind and electricity grids in the North Sea between Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the European Commission are currently members of the NSEC. Since the withdrawal of the UK from the EU on 31st January 2020, the UK participate on a technical level.
The cooperation commenced the summer of 2016, with Denmark holding the presidency from the summer of 2018 till the end of 2019. Denmark has again taken over the presidency in 2024, with Denmark leading the work in the cooperation.
The aim of the North Seas Energy Cooperation
The aim of the cooperation is to facilitate the cost-effective deployment of offshore renewable energy, in particular wind, and promoting interconnection between the countries in the region. The cooperation will make this possible by:
- Standardising and harmonising rules and demands for offshore wind turbines
- Coordinating the timing for tenders and developing a best practice for the design of tenders
- Promoting economies of scale
- Sharing the newest knowledge on how offshore wind can be established, in the most cost-effective way
The potential of the North Seas Energy Cooperation
The North Seas region has great potential for offshore wind generation, and linking these countries via energy infrastructure will create jobs and economic growth throughout the region. The European Commission has estimated that the European Union will need 300 GigaWatt offshore wind power by 2050 to meet its target to become climate neutral. It has been estimated by experts that the North Seas has the potential to reach at least half of this target.
The cost of offshore wind energy has decreased, as the technologies used to generate it have matured. This places countries investing in offshore wind energy in an ideal position for creating growth and jobs. The North Seas Energy Cooperation has the potential to provide consumers with sustainable, secure and affordable energy.
With the North Seas Energy Cooperation, a harmonisation of rules and demands can lead to a reduction in production costs, since companies no longer have to adapt to individual needs from every single country, but will be able to produce from one common standard. This will be able to further reduce the price for offshore wind turbines for the good of both consumers and companies.