The European energy crisis is not over yet. A lack of gas on the global markets, the high demand after the lockdown and the war in Ukraine have increased the prices of gas, and therefore energy, in the continent [1][2].
Figure 1: Off-shore wind farm south of Kent
Off-Shore Wind Energy in the North Sea
The North Sea has always been economically significant whether it is used for shipping goods, fishing or oil and gas extraction. One characteristic of the North Sea is its bad weather with a significant amount of wind. While this might sound negative it can shape the future of its economic activity. In fact, a significant amount of off-shore wind farms are located in the North Sea and the deployment of wind turbines is predicted to expand.
In 2022 North Sea countries (Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway) auctioned off 25GW (gigawatts) in wind-power capacity. Circa 30GW of tenders have already been scheduled for the next three years, and annual new connections are expected to grow from under 4GW today to more than 10GW by the late 2020s. The prediction is to have 260GW of off-shore capacity in the North Sea by 2050 [3].
About Pager Power
Pager Power undertakes technical assessments for developers of renewable energy projects and tall buildings worldwide. For more information about what we do, please get in touch.
Pager Power Experience
Pager Power has worked internationally on several off-shore wind farm projects located in the North Sea. It can provide services such as aviation risk assessment, radar mitigation strategies and liaise with stakeholders to overcome objections by mitigating potential impacts and obtain planning permission.
References
[1] 5 things you should know about Europe’s energy crisis, Senior Writer, date: 13/10/2021, last access: 16/01/2023.
[2] Energy Crisis in Europe: Causes and Remedies, Crystal, date: 13/10/2021, last access: 12/11/2022.
[3] Can the North Sea become Europe’s new economic powerhouse?, The Economist, date: 01/01/2023, last access: 12/11/2022.
