News item | 16-09-2022 | 4:00 pm
Today, the government is announcing plans for the further growth of offshore wind energy until 2050. This is based on the assumption of generating about 50 gigawatts of wind power in 2040 and aiming for around 70 gigawatts in 2050. In order to quickly make industry and society in the Netherlands more sustainable, offshore wind energy must continue to grow significantly after 2030, which is why plans are being made for the maximum that is thought to be needed. At the moment, the cabinet is already working towards about 21 gigawatts by 2030, which is about 75% of the current electricity consumption in our country.
In addition to electricity generation, the cabinet also plans for large-scale hydrogen production in the North Sea. This will enable a large part of the industry to switch from gas to green hydrogen. From 2030, offshore wind energy will mainly be located in areas further away in the North Sea, hundreds of kilometers from the coast. The cabinet wants to realize large-scale energy nodes at sea in these remote areas. As a result, not all wind farms need to be connected separately to the onshore electricity grid, but several wind farms can be connected to the energy node to also produce hydrogen at sea. The energy can then be transported to land partly as electricity and partly as hydrogen. As a result, fewer electricity cables are needed to bring the energy ashore, which saves costs and requires less space on the coast. Connections with other North Sea countries can also be made via the hubs, which contributes to security of supply.
Minister Jetten for Climate and Energy: “Earlier this year, we made firm plans for 2030. We are now also laying down an ambitious plan up to 2050. This gives us the space to look further ahead and work carefully. 70 gigawatts of power is very ambitious and in the coming years we will look at exactly how many gigawatts are needed. This gives us the opportunity to sustainably electrify a large part of the Netherlands and to generate green hydrogen for industry, for example. We work carefully in this regard, with a great eye for nature above and below water and other interests in the North Sea such as food production, shipping, defense and coastal defence.”
Earlier this week, the 9 European North Sea countries, united in the North Seas Energy Cooperation, agreed to jointly build 260 gigawatts of wind capacity in the North Sea until 2050. In May this year it was also agreed that Denmark, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands will work closely together. on the North Sea. The planned energy nodes of these countries will be interconnected. This ensures a more robust energy system for all countries.
The growth of offshore wind energy must go hand in hand with other interests in the North Sea, such as fishing and nature. With the increase of offshore wind farms, the ecological effects will increase. This should be looked at carefully. Sufficient space must also remain in the North Sea for other activities such as food extraction and shipping. In the North Sea Programme, the government is investigating how all interests can go hand in hand in the North Sea. The central government will also discuss this with the parties involved in the North Sea consultations. The government is focusing on research to map out the effects of the wind farms as accurately as possible. In addition, the wind farms can also have positive effects on underwater nature by having wind farms built in a nature-inclusive way.