Wind Energy – GOWA
COP27 has seen nine new countries including Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, the US join the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA), pledging to a rapid ramp up of offshore wind in order to tackle the climate and energy security crises.
The alliance has been initiated by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Denmark and the Global Wind Energy Council and will bring together governments, the private sector, international organisations and other stakeholders to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind power.
The countries joining GOWA have agreed to work together to drive national, regional, and global ambitions and remove barriers to the deployment of offshore wind in new and existing markets
Offshore wind can be deployed at large scale, in short timeframes and at competitive cost – it is a fast and viable route to closing the growing gap between renewable energy targets and current rates of implementation.
Both the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) expect that offshore wind capacity will need to exceed 2000GW in 2050, from just over 60GW today, in order to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees and achieve net zero. To reach this target, GOWA will aim to contribute to accelerating growth to reach a total of at least 380GW installed capacity by the end of 2030.
Tinne Van der Straeten, Belgian Energy Minister said: “Belgium has been one of the frontrunners in offshore wind and is accelerating the energy transition with a quadrupling of offshore wind capacity by 2040 in the Belgian North Sea, build a hybrid energy island and new interconnections with North Sea countries. The North Sea will transform to a large sustainable power plant. With this green acceleration, we can replace gas and oil faster with offshore wind and green hydrogen. That way we will strengthen energy independence, lower the bills for households and industry and reduce CO2 emissions. The launch of this alliance is an exquisite opportunity to export Belgian knowledge and expertise in this area to other regions in the world, with a view to accelerating the energy transition and limit global warming to 1,5°C.”
Tomas Anker Christensen, Climate Ambassador of Denmark said: “Offshore wind is central to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and phasing out fossil-based energy. With the engagement of policy-makers, international organizations and actors from the entire value chain, the Global Offshore Wind Alliance is here to create political momentum and drive action on the ground by sharing best practices to ensure an effective, cost-efficient and just power transition to offshore wind.”
