The North Sea as a green power plant for Europe: Renewable Energy Hamburg cooperates with six cluster agencies

During the Energy Innovation Matchmaking event on 5 October 2022 in Esbjerg, the Renewable Energy Hamburg Cluster Agency signed a manifesto together with six European cluster organisations. The participating cluster agencies aim to use this cooperation agreement to work more closely together in the areas of innovation, technological development and energy transition, in order to assist the European Union with the implementation of ambitious expansion targets for renewable energies (offshore wind and hydrogen) in the North Sea.

Specific actions from the cooperation agreement:

• Annual cooperation conference to coordinate joint innovation activities
• Annual organisation of an international matchmaking event involving member companies, academic institutions and other relevant stakeholders
• Formation of consortiums for participation in EU projects

“The regional and national cluster agencies are well placed to achieve the highly ambitious expansion targets for offshore wind energy in the North Sea and develop the European value chain, and they enjoy the trust of their members. We’re pleased to be part of this process,” says Jan Rispens, Managing Director of the Renewable Energy Hamburg Cluster Agency.

Esbjerg Declaration

The European cluster cooperation took place against the background of the Esbjerg Declaration. In May 2022, the heads of government from Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium met at the North Sea Summit in Esbjerg (Denmark) and announced closer collaboration for the expansion of offshore wind energy in the North Sea, with the energy ministers signing the Esbjerg Declaration.

The four countries, all bordering the North Sea, aim to turn the North Sea into a green power plant for Europe and accelerate the development of the offshore wind industry. The aim is to develop offshore wind capacity of 65 GW by 2030 and at least 150GW by 2050, more than half the capacity required to achieve climate neutrality according to the “EU Strategy on Offshore Wind Renewable Energy”. The production of green hydrogen will benefit from these ambitious expansion targets. Production capacity of 20GW is to be achieved by 2030.

For comparison purposes, the German government has set itself the goal of installing 30 GW of offshore wind turbines and 10 GW of electrolysers by 2030. Germany will therefore make a major contribution to the energy transition in Europe.

The six participating cluster organisations, in addition to the Renewable Energy Hamburg Cluster Agency, are: Energy Cluster Denmark (Denmark), WAB e. V. (Germany), Energy Transition Norway (Norway), New Energy Coalition (Netherlands), and Flux 50 and Blauwe Cluster (both from Belgium).