Energy ministers from the UK and nine other European countries have signed a joint declaration in Hamburg committing to large-scale co-operation on offshore wind and cross‑border electricity links in the North Sea.
The Hamburg Declaration, signed on Monday by UK energy secretary Ed Miliband and energy ministers from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway, sets out a plan for at least 100GW of jointly developed offshore wind capacity to be delivered through cross‑border projects.
The signatories say these projects will include offshore hybrid assets (OHA) – wind farms connected directly to more than one country by undersea interconnectors. National Grid and Dutch network operator are already developing an OHA called LionLink.
Officials describe the move as a step towards turning the North Sea into a major shared source of renewable generation and boosting energy security across the region. Ministers at the Future of the North Seas Summit said the arrangements will support joint planning, cost‑sharing and market arrangements intended to speed delivery of cross‑border infrastructure.
The declaration builds on a 2023 pledge by North Sea countries to deploy 300GW of offshore wind by 2050. Under this week’s agreement, a third of that capacity would be developed through collaborative projects rather than only by individual national developments.
Proponents argue that enhanced interconnection and coordinated development will allow countries to move electricity to where it is most needed and reduce exposure to fossil‑fuel price volatility. The deal also envisages closer UK‑German collaboration on OHAs, which ministers say could create export opportunities for firms that build the necessary subsea grid technology.
The UK government points to recent domestic progress to underline its role in the initiative. Earlier in January, the UK’s Contracts for Difference auction secured new agreements for 8.4GW of offshore wind capacity. Ministers called the largest such auction in European history and said it is expected to unlock £22bn of private investment and 7,000 jobs.
Industry groups attending the summit were expected to set out plans for new projects in response to the declaration. Practical outcomes sought include streamlined cross‑border consenting, aligned market rules for electricity trade, and mechanisms for sharing the costs and benefits of joint infrastructure.
The Hamburg Declaration is significant for several reasons. First, it formalises a commitment to develop multi‑country projects at scale – a technically and politically complex task that raises questions about regulation, allocation of costs and revenues, and co‑ordination of grid planning across national systems. Second, closer UK‑EU energy co‑operation follows years of debate about Britain’s role in European grids since it left the EU; while electricity trading between the UK and some EU states continues, deeper project co‑ordination will require new bilateral and multilateral arrangements.
Challenges remain. Building and connecting offshore wind at the scale envisaged will demand large amounts of finance, skilled labour, port capacity and substantial permitting reform. Siting, environmental assessments and fisheries impacts are also likely to be points of contention. In addition, the political appetite for long‑term cost‑sharing and integrated market rules varies between countries, and implementation could be slowed by domestic politics or competing national priorities.
The Hamburg Declaration does not commit signatories to specific projects or delivery timetables. It does, however, set a framework intended to accelerate joint planning and to encourage private sector investment in cross‑border infrastructure.
Next steps will include more detailed negotiations on how to allocate costs and revenues from hybrid assets, the legal and regulatory arrangements for cross‑border connections and the sequencing of projects to ensure grid stability and efficient use of capacity.
Miliband said: “We are standing up for our national interest by driving for clean energy, which can get the UK off the fossil fuel rollercoaster and give us energy sovereignty and abundance.
“After our record renewables auction, we today went further by signing a clean energy security pact with European allies to ensure we maximise the clean energy potential for the North Sea.”
Delivery ‘will require relentless focus on maintaining momentum of UK-EU alignment’
Ben Wilson, president of National Grid Ventures, said: “Today is a step towards a more integrated energy system in the North Seas. LionLink and projects like those being announced today are important for maximising the efficient use of resources, reducing costs, and minimising the impact on coastal communities. Collaboration on projects like these are key to delivering on more secure, affordable energy for British and European consumers.”
Dhara Vyas, chief executive of Energy UK, said: “The UK’s energy sector is fully behind the landmark efforts to be announced at the Hamburg North Sea Summit to transform the North Sea into a truly regional clean power hub. Delivering the goal of 100GW of offshore cooperation projects by 2050 will require a relentless focus on maintaining the momentum of UK-EU alignment on electricity market coupling and ETS linkage.
“This deeper cooperation on supply chains, standardisation, and shared infrastructure is not just a strategic necessity, it is the most effective way to bring down energy costs for households and businesses while fuelling sustainable economic growth and high-value jobs for years to come.”
Jane Cooper, deputy chief executive of RenewableUK, said: “This ambitious announcement to build a vast number of new offshore wind farms jointly with our European partners will increase the energy security of the UK and the whole of the North Sea region significantly. This historic declaration puts offshore wind right at the heart of Europe’s power system, with the UK leading the way.
“We are strengthening our security collaboration to ensure the North Sea’s critical energy infrastructure is protected from harm, so that we can continue to generate the huge quantities of clean power needed by the UK and our neighbours reliably at all times.”
William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “It is essential for the UK’s energy security and economic growth that we co-operate more closely with our European allies to realise the full potential of the North Sea.
“The commitments set out in the Hamburg Declaration will deliver on that, allowing our businesses to work on joint projects on renewables, interconnectors and other vital energy infrastructure. The momentum from today’s Summit and Business Conference needs to be kept up.”
Enrique Cornejo, energy policy director, Offshore Energies UK, said: “In an increasingly volatile world, this deal se0ts ambitious targets for UK and European offshore wind collaboration. 100 GW from such joint projects would become a major part of our shared North Sea energy mix, which will include oil, gas and also hydrogen for decades to come. Affordable and secure energy is key to the UK’s future and to those of our European partners. The future of the North Sea is in our hands.”
Gus Jaspert, managing director, marine at The Crown Estate, said: “The UK’s offshore wind sector is a national success story and an engine of economic growth. It attracts billions in investment, supports tens of thousands of jobs across the country and each new turbine built boosts our energy security.
“As such we welcome opportunities for the UK to utilise its world-leading experience in offshore wind and work closely with international partners in the North Sea to collectively drive clean energy generation and enable greater energy security at a time of geopolitical uncertainty.”
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