Minister O'Brien concludes successful North Sea Summit

Collective goal is to develop the North Sea region into Europe's 'green power plant' and install up to 300GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050

The event underscored the importance of regional cooperation to develop offshore wind capacity in the North Seas region

Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O'Brien attended the North Sea Summit in Hamburg, which brought together heads of state and government, energy ministers, and key international partners to enhance cooperation on offshore wind and hydrogen infrastructure across the North Sea region.

The focus of this summit, themed 'From National to Regional', was on the implementation of the collective goal to develop the North Seas region into Europe's ‘green power plant’ and install up to 300GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050.

Minister O'Brien's engagement

Minister O'Brien signed – along with the energy ministers of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom – the Hamburg Declaration of Energy Ministers, which sets out a commitment to a more regional approach to cross-border infrastructure planning, closer cooperation on the protection of offshore energy infrastructure, and the development of an Offshore Financing Framework to strengthen the business case for offshore wind in the North Seas.

Additionally, Minister O'Brien held the following engagements:

• Closed Ministerial Meeting Discussion on the Offshore Financing Framework
• Stakeholder Panel on Ensuring a Business Case for Offshore Wind
• Chaired a Roundtable Discussion on Offshore Renewable Hydrogen

Speaking at the summit, Minister O'Brien said:

Minister O'Brien held a bilateral meeting with the French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Energy Sovereignty Roland Lescure. The Ministers had discussions about Ireland's upcoming EU Presidency and about the ongoing construction of the Celtic Interconnector, which will see Ireland reconnected to the EU’s internal electricity market. They agreed to continue discussions on the possibilities of further interconnection opportunities between the two countries.

Ireland's EU Presidency

In the second half of this year, Ireland's EU Presidency will emphasise the need for accelerated deployment of renewable energy, particularly wind, solar and emerging offshore technologies, to deliver clean and affordable power for citizens and businesses. Increased renewable availability reduces exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets and strengthens Europe’s strategic autonomy.

The Minister also had an opportunity to engage with senior Irish stakeholders who attended the Summit, including from Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU), EirGrid, ESB, Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) and Wind Energy Ireland.

ENDS