Ahead of the Energy Council on 6 June, eleven representatives of energy companies have written an open letter to underline the crucial role that offshore wind can play in the European energy system and the commitment the wind energy industry is making to reduce costs.
In the letter, the representatives state that they are confident the industry can 'achieve cost levels below €80/MWh for projects reaching final investment decision in 2025' with the right regulatory framework as well as ongoing R&D within the industry. Such cost levels would make offshore wind competitive with conventional power generation.
Clear Visions and Closer Cooperation
Yet, they stress that 'if the offshore industry is to realise its cost reduction goals, a strong pipeline of projects is needed to scale up offshore deployment and identify efficiencies in the supply chain. Following a record year for installations in 2015, a serious question mark remains over the post-2020 environment for offshore wind. Policymakers at European and national level must set out clear visions for the industry after 2020 with robust laws that give investors peace of mind and visibility well into the future.'
Furthermore, European countries need to scale up on cooperation as this 'would help to reduce costs and remove barriers to investment.'
The letter was signed by:
- Luis Alvarez Rubio, General Manager at Adwen;
- João Paulo Costeira, Chief Operating Officer Europe & Brazil at EDP Renewables;
- Jeroen de Haas, Chief Executive Officer at Eneco Energie;
- Michael Lewis, Chief Executing Officer at E.ON Climate & Renewables;
- Anders Søe-Jensen, President & CEO Offshore Wind at GE Renewable Energy;
- Xabier Viteri Solaun, Chief Executive Officer at Iberdrola Renovables;
- Jens Tommerup, Chief Executive Officer at MHI Vestas Offshore Wind;
- Hans Bünting, Chief Operating Officer Renewables at RWE Innogy;
- Michael Hannibal, Chief Executive Officer Offshore Wind at Siemens Wind Power;
- Halfdan Brustad, Vice President Renewables Offshore Wind at Statoil; and
- Gunnar Groebler, Senior Vice President Business Area Wind at Vattenfall.
