Netherlands offshore wind energy target: 70 GW by 2050

The Dutch cabinet has set an offshore wind power target of 70 GW by 2050 to increase sustainability and increase hydrogen production.

These plans are based on the assumption of generating around 50 GW of wind power in 2040 and the cabinet is already working to deliver 21 GW by 2030, which is about 75% of current electricity consumption in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands has plans for large-scale hydrogen production in the North Sea to enable a large part of the industry to switch from gas to green hydrogen.

It also wants to realize large-scale offshore power nodes in more remote areas in the North Sea that are hundreds of kilometers from the coast.

As a result, not all wind farms need to be connected separately to the onshore power grid, but they can be connected to the power node to produce hydrogen in the sea, which means that the energy can be transported ashore partly as electricity and partly as electricity. hydrogen.

As a result, fewer electrical cables are needed to bring power ashore, saving costs and requiring less shoreline space, while connections to other North Sea countries can also be made via hubs, contributes to security of supply.

Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten said: “Earlier this year, we made firm plans for 2030. Now we are also setting an ambitious plan up to 2050.

“This gives us the space to look ahead and work carefully.

“70 gigawatts of power from offshore wind turbines is very ambitious and in the next few years we will see exactly how many gigawatts are needed.”

“This gives us the opportunity to sustainably electrify a large part of the Netherlands and generate green hydrogen for industry, for example.

“We work carefully in this regard, with a keen eye for nature above and below the water and other interests in the North Sea, such as food production, shipping, defense and coastal defence.”

Earlier this week, the 9 European North Sea countries, united in the North Seas Energy Cooperation, agreed to jointly build 260 gigawatts of wind capacity in the North Sea by 2050.

In May this year it was also agreed that Denmark, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands will work closely together in the North Sea.

The planned power nodes of these countries will be interconnected and will ensure a more robust power system for all countries.