OMNIFeatures｜UK and European Allies Seal Hamburg Declaration to Deliver 100 GW of Joint Offshore Wind

European leaders and the United Kingdom have signed a landmark clean energy security pact at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg. The agreement, known as the Hamburg Declaration, commits participating countries to jointly deliver 100 GW of offshore wind capacity through shared projects in the North Sea, reinforcing clean power as a cornerstone of energy security in an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment.

Signed by UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband alongside counterparts from Germany, Norway, France, Denmark and other European nations, the declaration formalises unprecedented collaboration on offshore wind development in shared waters. Central to the pact is the deployment of offshore wind hybrid assets—projects that combine wind farms with cross-border electricity interconnectors—allowing clean power to flow more efficiently between countries and reducing reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets.

The agreement builds on a broader North Sea commitment first made 3 years ago, when regional governments pledged to develop 300 GW of offshore wind by 2050 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the weaponisation of energy supplies. For the first time, the Hamburg Declaration translates that ambition into a concrete delivery plan, with 100 GW explicitly earmarked for joint projects, underpinned by coordinated planning, cost-sharing and market integration.

The UK's latest offshore wind allocation round (AR7) awarded 8.4 GW of new capacity—8.2 GW of bottom-fixed projects and nearly 200 MW of floating offshore wind. AR7 was among the most competitive offshore wind auctions ever held in Europe. A record 19 eligible projects, representing up to 24 GW of potential capacity

The results also mark a turning point after recent volatility. The UK’s AR5 auction in 2023 failed, while AR6 produced higher strike prices but insufficient new capacity. By contrast, AR7 reflects a stronger pipeline of ready-to-build projects, supported by the UK's two-sided Contracts for Difference (CfD) model, which reduces investment risk and improves revenue certainty.

Taken together, the Hamburg Declaration positions the North Sea as a shared clean energy reservoir and elevates offshore wind from a national infrastructure priority to a pillar of European energy sovereignty. As governments and industry move from pledges to project execution, the agreement is widely seen as a defining moment for the future of Europe's clean power system.

Reference: Wind Europe｜GOV.UK