The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the UK and the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) is a significant move towards closer cooperation in establishing the necessary grid infrastructure to support Europe’s zero-carbon energy future.
John Fitzgerald, CEO of SuperNode, welcomed the news and highlighted the importance of European collaboration in developing an optimal energy system based on renewables. “This is a meaningful step for both the UK and its EU neighbours that proves a willingness to work across borders for shared benefits. It is absolutely vital that we work together to develop coordinated offshore grids, without which we cannot achieve our shared climate goals.” he said.
NSEC is a network of nations and organisations cooperating to bring about the development of an offshore grid in the North Seas, including the Irish and Celtic Seas. The membership is comprised of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the European Commission. The UK was previously a member before leaving during the Brexit process. However, the signing of the MoU signifies a new phase of cooperation and a recognition of the importance of collaboration in developing an energy system based on renewables.
“The development of renewables in the North Seas is critical for accelerating our clean transition and boosting energy security for the UK and our European neighbours,” said Graham Stuart, UK Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth.
The benefits of coordinated grids are shown in a study conducted by the Energy Institute at University College Dublin and SuperNode. It was found that a ‘Pan-European’ energy transmission system can reduce costs by 32% compared to a business-as-usual, nationalistic approach.
In September 2022, NSEC agreed to targets of 73GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 260-290GW by 2050. This target will be bolstered by the UK’s own target of 50GW offshore wind by 2030.
NSEC is the facilitating body for the North Seas Offshore Grids (NSOG) priority offshore corridor sea basin, established by the trans-European Energy Network (TEN-E) regulation on cross-border energy infrastructure. Before 24 January, the NSOG nations must submit targets for offshore renewable energy generation to be deployed by 2050, with intermediate steps in 2030 and 2040. The NSOG nations are Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Sweden.
The MoU can be found here.
The UK Government’s press release can be found here.