Offshore wind energy: These countries are currently showing the greatest ambitions

When it comes to electricity production from renewable energy sources, the EU plays a leading role internationally. But when it comes to expanding wind energy, it is lagging behind in a global comparison. Unlike solar, which grew by a quarter, wind power grew by less than 10 percent last year — compared to a 17 percent increase worldwide.

Only a few weeks ago, the G7 industrial nations set themselves ambitious goals for wind energy for the first time. The environment and climate ministers want to build around 150 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power by 2030 – which corresponds to the output of 150 nuclear power plants. The USA and Canada in particular still have a great deal of untapped potential.

Germany obtains around a third of its electricity from solar and wind power plants. Since long-term obstacles stand in the way of the rapid expansion of wind energy, especially onshore, many plans focus on the offshore area: by 2030 it has already been decided to install around 26 GW of offshore capacity, i.e. wind energy from the high seas.

North Sea is to become a wind energy powerhouse

At a conference of nine countries bordering the North Sea, things should now be even more ambitious. In Ostend, Belgium, seven EU countries plus Great Britain and Norway want to commit to quadrupling offshore wind energy capacity by the end of the decade. The North Sea is to become the green European powerhouse. A total of 120 GW is to be launched by 2030, followed by a further 300 GW by 2050.

Last year, the value of offshore wind energy in the nine states was around 30 GW, according to the Belgian government. About eight GW came from Germany, most of it from the North Sea. France, Norway and Ireland, on the other hand, each produced significantly less than one gigawatt.

But who shows the greatest ambition to expand wind farms on the high seas? These countries are ahead:

This article first appeared on Capital.de