Countries including the UK, Germany and the Netherlands will pledge to jointly develop 100GW of offshore wind in the North Sea and strengthen protection of infrastructure, Bloomberg reported.
Energy ministers from nine countries are expected to sign a declaration in Hamburg next week committing to the joint projects by 2050, according to a draft seen by the financial news agency.
With security risks rising, the draft also calls for the exchange of security-related data and measures to counter physical and cyber threats, Bloomberg added.
“Considering the need to secure our offshore energy infrastructure against actions committed in the maritime sea and air space by malign actors and to negligent nautical behavior, it is essential to continue to pursue a high level of physical and digital protection of our energy infrastructure,” the draft document says, according to Bloomberg.
Bloomberg reported that Nato and the European Commission will participate in the summit, with Iceland also joining despite not being a North Sea nation.
The pledge follows criticism of Europe’s offshore wind build-out by US president Donald Trump this week.
The North Sea is viewed as central to the EU’s net-zero plans, with offshore wind and hydropower seen as lowering bills, improving energy security and enabling green hydrogen production.
The region aims to install 300GW of offshore wind by 2050, with one third delivered through joint projects, and Bloomberg said the draft declares that transmission system operators will set 20GW of such developments in motion in the 2030s.