European plans for offshore wind energy grid announced

Nine countries including the UK signed up to develop an integrated offshore grid in the North and Irish Seas.

The idea of a grid spanning European waters should make supplies of electricity more secure for the participating countries by making it easier to optimise offshore wind electricity production . It will also help the EU as a whole to meet its renewable energy target for 2020.

"This very ambitious project is not just of interest to the countries bordering the North seas. It is important for the future energy mix providing the needs of the European Union," said Paul Magnette, climate minister of Belgium which initiated the scheme.

The plan, which will now be examined by experts, foresees "the major part of offshore wind energy development in Europe will be focussed on the North Seas region."

"We're already the world leader in offshore wind here in the UK and today's announcements bring new funding and expert direction to grow this vital new industry," said the UK's energy minister, Lord Hunt. "They also mean we can work with other countries in the EU to increase our renewable energy supplies."

The countries involved aim to devise a work plan in early 2010 to coordinate offshore infrastructure development. The nations which signed up to the scheme are the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden and Ireland.

The initiative is part of EU plans to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020.