Danske Rederier (Danish Shipping) has expressed its disappointment that the negotiations on the North Sea Energy Island between Denmark and Belgium have broken down.
According to Danske Rederier, this setback, following closely on from the withdrawal of Ørsted from various green fuel production schemes, means that the project, which is intended to supply green electricity for the production of green fuels, will be delayed. Fortunately, the negotiations with the Germans look promising.
Danske Rederier CEO Anne H Steffensen said: “We need all the green electricity we can get. The first green ships have long since been launched, and many more are on the way. But they need green fuels, and that requires large amounts of green electricity.”
Steffensen emphasises that she will not lose hope because of this recent development. She is optimistic about Denmark now starting negotiations with Germany on the North Sea Energy Island.
Steffensen continued: “Germany is an important partner for Denmark, both economically and politically, and we hope that the two countries can reach a good and sustainable agreement on the North Sea Energy Island. Germany is already involved in the Bornholm Energy Island, and hopefully, this will make the negotiations around the North Sea Energy Island easier. We urge the government to do everything it can to ensure a swift and smooth process so that we can move forward with this important project for the green future.
We are ready to invest in green ships and green fuels, but we urgently need infrastructure and political will to support our vision. The North Sea Energy Island is an example of a project that can make a huge difference for both shipping and society as a whole. We hope it becomes a reality soon.”
Danske Rederier has long been an advocate for the North Sea Energy Island, which is seen as an important step towards achieving the goal of making international shipping climate-neutral by 2050. Shipping accounts for about 3% of global CO2 emissions, and Danske Rederier believes that the industry has a responsibility to contribute to the green transition.
Image: Green energy at sea (credit: Unsplash/Jesse De Meulenaere)
