Port Ostend will be the setting on 24 April for a European North Sea Summit with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, heads of government, energy ministers and top industrial players. High on the agenda is safety on and around wind farms.
Ostend hosts the continent’s top executives on Monday 24 April for the second European summit on expanding wind energy generation in the North Sea. At the first summit in Esbjerg, Denmark, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands committed to making the North Sea the continent’s largest green energy power station by 2050. They wish to boost generation capacity to 150 gigawatts, the equivalent of Europe’s household electricity consumption.
In Ostend, the coalition will be joined by France, the UK, Ireland, Norway and Luxembourg. The countries want to make Europe less dependent on fossil fuels, both for climate and geopolitical reasons. “A crucial agenda item is the security of our offshore energy infrastructure, both of the wind farms and the cables they are connected to,” the programme stresses.
Napoleon
At the invitation of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) and Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen), Emmanuel Macron, among others, is expected in the corridors of Fort Napoleon. The European commission will be represented by German president Ursula von der Leyen and Estonian energy commissioner Kadri Simson.
The politicians will be joined by 100 business leaders and industrial energy players. They will be informed about the international position and expertise developed by the Port of Ostend’s offshore cluster since a decade. The official part will take place from 15:30 and will be followed by a private dinner for the distinguished guests after the signing of an agreement.
