Four EU states sign declaration to provide 230 mln households with green electricity

COPENHAGEN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The heads of government of Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands signed a joint declaration on Wednesday at the North Sea Summit in Esbjerg, western Denmark, that aims to transform the North Sea into Europe's green powerhouse by 2050.

At the summit, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen set an ambitious goal to quadruple the four countries' total offshore wind capacity by 2030, and increase it to at least 150 gigawatts (GW) by 2050. This would allow them to power up to 230 million European homes with green energy.

Along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, energy ministers from each country attended the summit.

The ministers signed a number of bilateral declarations, including goals for green hydrogen, and the creation of more energy islands in the North Sea.

"These commitments made in Esbjerg will also help Europe become independent from fossil fuels in a sustainable way," said Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities Dan Jorgensen. "The North Sea will become a renewable hub for Europe and provide power to millions of Europeans."

Earlier in the day, von der Leyen presented the RePowerEU initiative to become independent of Russian gas.

"As part of the measures to accelerate the green transition, we have proposed to make permissions in the EU faster and more streamlined, which will help to take full advantage of the offshore wind potential in Europe," said Simson.