The North Sea Summit took place today in Ostend. The Summit was initiated by the Belgian government and brought around the table not only top European politicians but also 100 CEOs of various companies active in the Offshore Energy sector including DEME. The Ostend Summit underlines the ambition to make the North Sea the new green energy hub of Europe.
The second edition of the North Sea summit, which took place just last year in Esbjerg, aims to promote cooperation around offshore energy and brings together all stakeholders for this purpose. These include not only the countries involved (Belgium, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and Germany) but also 100 companies and grid operators who sit down together for roundtable discussions.
Following the North Sea Summit, an Offshore Renewable Industry Declaration was drafted and signed by the attendees. The signatories of this Declaration express their support for the political agreements reached at the conference. The Declaration also lists a number of pain points that need to be addressed urgently so that the growth of renewable energy can be achieved and we are less and less dependent on fossil fuels.
For DEME, CEO Luc Vandenbulcke put his signature on the declaration. "We were already there last year in Esbjerg and by signing again now we want to strengthen our commitment and use our know-how and expertise to make the North Sea Summit a success." Luc Vandenbulcke commented afterwards.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was shown a model of the Princess Elisabeth Island, the first energy island in the world that connects offshore wind farms with the mainland.
More information about the summit and its agreements can be viewed here below
