All EU Baltic Sea states agree to increase offshore wind energy production sevenfold

By 2030, this could mean powering some 30 million households in Northern Europe

Yesterday, 30 August, leaders from all the states bordering the Baltic Sea (minus Russia) met in Denmark and signed a declaration promising to massively expand offshore wind power capacity in order to provide much-needed energy security.

The document, known as the Marienborg Declaration, got together the host country plus Sweden, Finland, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia into a club that now sees eye to eye on the need for boosted electricity and hydrogen production using the natural force of the wind.

The ambition is to have 19.6 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 – a sevenfold increase compared to the current 2.8 GW. This could be enough power to feed the energy needs of between 22 and 30 million households in the wider region.

The Baltic Sea is a windy place and that’s great

The Marienborg Declaration further recognises the substantial potential for offshore wind power in the Baltic Sea basin, reaching up to 93 GW, positioning the Baltic Sea as a crucial green vessel toward an energy-resilient and climate-neutral Europe. In addition to the potential for offshore wind, the Baltic Sea also boasts the potential for adding more grid connections between the countries’ electricity systems.

By working together on cross-border energy projects and technological integration, the EU Member States across the Baltic Sea take action on offshore wind development and synchronisation of power grids in the region.

To deliver on this, strong cooperation between the transition operators is crucial to ensure coordinated grid planning. Furthermore, the activation of market-based actors and private competence is vital in order to overcome barriers and secure a swift, cost-effective and commercially viable integration of offshore wind energy.

Concerted initiatives to strengthen cooperation at the political level have already played a significant role in this regard.