[Dargo]

The Dutch cabinet wants to build more offshore wind farms than previously planned. By 2050, wind farms in the North Sea must provide 70 gigawatts of power. That is a more than tripling of the current ambition, reports the central government on its website. By 2040 there must be 50 gigawatts, Minister Rob Jetten for Climate and Energy (D66) announced this afternoon. The turbines should not only generate electricity. The government also wants the offshore turbines to produce sustainable hydrogen on site, an energy source that should make industry and heavy transport more sustainable.

So far, the government has planned 21 gigawatts of offshore wind turbines in the North Sea. That covers three-quarters of the electricity consumption in the Netherlands. With 70 gigawatts of wind energy from the sea, the Netherlands would be as good as self-sufficient, a study by grid managers showed last spring. Space is scarce. Space in the North Sea is scarce, however, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate recognizes. "The growth of offshore wind energy must go well with other interests in the North Sea, such as fisheries and nature." Jetten says she wants to consult with all parties involved.

The Dutch Wind Energy Association is pleasantly surprised with the cabinet's choice to want to realize 70 gigawatts of capacity in the North Sea. Chairman Jan Vos calls it "a fantastic decision." "This minister shows guts and has strategic insight. Just imagine: in 2012, as PvdA spokesperson for Energy and Climate, I was involved in the cabinet formation and, with a lot of effort, we managed to get 6 gigawatts through. And now, ten years later, it's going to 70 gigawatts. We're getting the biggest wind farm in the world. I'm super happy." According to Vos, wind energy is cheap, clean and geopolitically sensible, given the current situation in Ukraine and its impact on the energy market. "This allows the Netherlands to generate energy largely independently. Some 90 percent of our electricity will soon come from the North Sea."