Declaration maps out the future for offshore wind energy across Europe

Participants of the Dutch EU Presidency’s “EU Policy Workshop on the development of offshore wind energy” today published a Declaration that called for action at the EU Transport, Energy and Telecom Council on November 29th. In his opening speech, Laurens Brinkhorst, Minister of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands, stated the need to ‘give wind some wings’ and that ‘the sense of urgency is clear’.The Declaration lists a series of action points on three main issues relating to the development of offshore wind energy in Europe:

• Market development
• Environment
• Grid integration of large scale offshore wind

“We are very pleased with the outcome of this workshop. Especially we are glad about the constructive and active participation of the different stakeholders in setting the scene for the future development of offshore. It is important that the process initiated here in Egmond will be followed up”, said Michel Verhagen of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Netherlands. “For the first time, representatives from Governments, Energy Agencies, NGOs and industry have agreed on the essential elements that are necessary to unlock the potential of Europe’s massive offshore wind energy resources ”, said Corin Millais, CEO of the European Wind Energy Association, EWEA. “This is a great leap forward for offshore wind power in Europe”.

Key points of the Declaration include:

“[offshore wind energy] will contribute significantly to the Lisbon Strategy and EU objectives on technological development, exports, employment and regional development”

“In order to arrive at proper cost comparisons between (new) conventional electricity and electricity from offshore wind farms, externalities should be taken into account.”

“Participants emphasise the need for setting up of a Wind Energy technology platform within the framework of FP7, as proposed by the Informal Competitiveness Council”

“The participants call upon the EC to increase support for offshore wind under Structural Fund budgets”

“Participants call upon Governments to compare in their appraisals of environmental impacts of offshore wind farms those with the impact from alternative means on and offshore to generate electricity”

“In order to find European wide solutions to grid system issues like costs, size and dynamics related to system balance and interconnection, the European Commission should encourage, and where appropriate, support co-operation between Member States Governments, power plants and Transmission System Operators”

The Danish Government has offered to organise a follow up meeting in 2005 to realise progress on actions and recommendations made in Egmond in 2004. The Declaration (EN) and the press release by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (NL) are available at: http://www.ez.nl/content.jsp?objectid=26484. For more information contact:

- Christian Kjaer, EWEA Policy Director, mobile +32 498 107 961
- Luisa Colasimone, EWEA Communications Director, mobile +32 485 145 411