The second consecutive “North Sea Summit”, on the topic of green energy, is being hosted today in the port of Ostend, Belgium, with the participation of nine European countries.

The goal of the Summit, according to the Belgian newspaper L’Echo, is to increase the electricity generation capacity target to 300 GW by 2050 (120 GW in 2030), in order to make the North Sea the “biggest green power station in Europe”. This is an eightfold increase compared to the current power.

The heads of state and government of nine countries (Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Norway) participate in the Summit. Also participating are Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, energy ministers, Energy Commissioner Kadri Simpson, as well as a delegation of executives from around a hundred companies in the industry.

According to the Belgian newspaper “L’Echo”, a declaration is expected to be signed by the nine countries to connect their offshore wind farms (175,000 km of coastline) and increase the capacity to produce electricity at sea, while integrating the production of green hydrogen in the process . The nine countries will integrate their already identified projects as a basis for a common vision, aiming to create an energy exchange hub. Many interconnections are already on the cards (Nautilus between Belgium and the UK, Triton Link connecting the energy islands of Belgium and Denmark, Celtic interconnection connecting France and Ireland, etc.).

Also the countries will announce that they will make every effort to lighten the administrative procedures, especially obtaining permits – in short to maximize the potential of the North Sea by multiplying the possibilities of solutions (wind turbines, panels, carbon storage, green hydrogen, etc. ), coordinating the efforts of neighboring countries, while facilitating the work for companies and creating a relevant regulatory framework.

The Belgian press describes the Summit as “historic” for the action taking place in Ostend.