News
OCEaN Statement: Charting the Course for a Sustainable Offshore Future
Mar 20, 2024
OCEaN - North and Baltic Seas is launching a statement today calling for joint political action on climate and biodiversity goals after the 2024 EU elections and underlines five key areas policymakers must focus on to ensure the expansion of offshore wind contributes positively to both the environment and society. The launch of this statement marks the kick off OCEaN and Renewables Grid Initiative's activities at WindEurope’s 2024 Annual Event in Bilbao.
The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature welcomes two new Members: Statnett and RWE
Mar 18, 2024
OCEaN - North and Baltic Seas is proud to welcome two new Members: Statnett, Norway's transmission system operator, and RWE, an international renewable energy company with over 20 years of experience in offshore wind.
OCEaN Activities at WindEurope's 2024 Annual Event in Bilbao
Mar 05, 2024
OCEaN once again had a strong presence at WindEurope's Annual Event - which took place in Bilbao from 20-22 March 2024. Participants were welcomed to take part in all of our activities - including our stand in the exhibition hall, workshop with the Renewables Grid Initiative and WindEurope, presentations from OCEaN Members on their collaborative work to reconcile energy and nature at sea, and more!
The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature welcomes new Member: Renewables Norway
Dec 18, 2023
OCEaN warmly welcomes its newest Member: Renewables Norway, a non-profit industry organization representing around 400 companies involved in the production, distribution and trading of electricity in Norway.
Med OCEaN publishes recommendations to ensure nature-friendly offshore wind and grid development
Nov 07, 2023
Members of the recently launched Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature – Mediterranean basin (Med OCEaN) strongly support an improved, robust, and timely Maritime Spatial Planning process. This will significantly contribute to accelerating OWE, as well as reducing investment risks and project delays. In this context, Med OCEaN Members, a coalition which includes stakeholders from Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal, are today launching recommendations to be considered by EU Member States of the Mediterranean basin and adjacent Atlantic waters.
OCEaN Statement on the upcoming EU Wind Power Package
Oct 23, 2023
Ahead of the publication of the EU Wind Power Package, the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) is launching a statement supporting the use of minimum requirements and non-price criteria in the design of offshore wind farm auctions.
Launch of the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature – Mediterranean Sea (Med OCEaN)
Sep 28, 2023
Coalition of NGOs, wind industry and transmission system operators commit to work together for sustainable offshore wind and grid development in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent Atlantic waters
OCEaN welcomes Skyborn Renewables as our 30th Member!
Jul 26, 2023
The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) warmly welcomes Skyborn Renewables, an offshore wind partner, as a new Member. Skyborn has been pioneering the development of offshore wind projects since 2000 across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
OCEaN welcomes Environmental Action Germany (Deutsche Umwelthilfe) as a new Member
Jul 19, 2023
OCEaN is delighted to welcome Environmental Action Germany (Deutsche Umwelthilfe - DUH), an environmental and consumer protection NGO, as our newest Member.
OCEaN welcomes SSE Renewables as a new Member
Jul 04, 2023
OCEaN is delighted to welcome SSE Renewables as our newest Member. SSE Renewables is a developer and operator of renewable energy, headquartered in the UK and Ireland, with a growing presence internationally.
Join the FlatEMF study to discover the impact of subsea electricity cables on marine wildlife
May 08, 2023
To transport electricity generated offshore to consumers on land, subsea cables are needed. These cables generate electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Anecdotal evidence suggests that EMFs can influence the behaviour of commercial flatfish, which caused the fishing community to express their concerns. However, the evidence for these concerns is thin and more research is needed. To address this knowledge gap and facilitate fact-based discussions between all users of the sea, we decided to combine forces and conduct a study on the impacts that EMFs might have on commercially important flatfish species
OCEaN Statement on ecological criteria in offshore wind farm auctions
Apr 26, 2023
OCEaN is launching a statement today encouraging all European Member States to make full use of ecological non-price criteria for the design of offshore wind farm auctions. The launch is part of a workshop at WindEurope’s Annual Event in Copenhagen, which OCEaN jointly organised with WindEurope and the Renewables Grid Initiative.
The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature at WindEurope's Annual Event 2023
Apr 17, 2023
OCEaN had an extensive presence at WindEurope's Annual Event in Copenhagen from 25-27 April 2023. This included a stand in the exhibition hall, joint workshop with the Renewables Grid Initiative and WindEurope, and presentations from OCEaN Members on their collaborative work to reconcile energy and nature at sea.
OCEaN Members featured in video 'Offshore wind energy infrastructure and biodiversity'
Mar 01, 2023
As part of their 'Need for Grids' video series, the Renewables Grid Initiative has released a video focusing on offshore wind energy infrastructure and biodiversity in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian. This video provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of how offshore wind infrastructure can exist in harmony with nature, and even be a catalyst for enhanced biodiversity.
The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature welcomes IUCN as a new supporting organisation
Feb 13, 2023
OCEaN is delighted to welcome IUCN as a new supporting organisation. IUCN is the world’s largest conservation network with membership of both government and civil society organisations.
Videos to inspire – nature restoration and offshore energy infrastructure can go hand in hand
Nov 30, 2022
We are delighted to share eight new videos showcasing successful nature restoration practices linked to offshore energy infrastructure. These videos feature interviews with OCEaN members and presenters who participated in our conference Speeding up Nature Positive Offshore Energy Infrastructure Deployment – and are shining examples of what is already possible, and what we should strive to scale up!
Joint Press Release - Speed up offshore wind and grid development with robust and timely Maritime Spatial Planning
Oct 19, 2022
19 October 2022, Brussels – At a joint conference on nature positive offshore energy infrastructure hosted by Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) and WindEurope, the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) confirmed that it is possible to speed up offshore wind and related electricity grid deployment while protecting and restoring nature.
The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature welcomes its first supporting organisation
Oct 10, 2022
OCEaN is delighted to welcome its first supporting organisation: the Copenhagen based think tank Ocean Institute
OCEaN’s Statement on the upcoming EU Restoration Law
Jun 14, 2022
NGOs, wind industry and Transmission System Operators (TSOs), working collaboratively in OCEaN, call for a strong EU Restoration Law with clear and quantifiable legally binding targets, as well as implementation and enforcement rules that enable ecologically-sound offshore wind and electricity grid deployment.
RGI calls for balanced approach on inclusion of Lead in Authorisation List under REACH Regulation due to its needed use in electricity subsea cables
May 02, 2022
The Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) calls for a balanced approach on the inclusion of Lead in the Authoristation List under the REACH Regulation in view of its needed use in subsea cables. Making Lead subject to extensive authorisation requirements would undermine European decarbonisation efforts and increase European dependence on imports.
Call for Submissions for the RGI 'Good Practice of the Year' award 2022 now open!
May 02, 2022
The Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) is searching for the latest innovative practices which work towards the system integration of renewables in an inclusive and environmentally friendly way. Anyone is welcome to apply: NGOs, TSOs, project developers, regulators, permitting bodies and representatives of EU-funded projects alike. Projects and practices that support sustainable development of offshore energy infrastructure and protection of our marine ecosystems are welcome to apply by 17 June 2022!
Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) to be expanded to the Mediterranean
Apr 21, 2022
During the WindEurope Annual Event 2022 in Bilbao, TSOs, industry and NGOs committed to collaborate on the expansion of the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) to the Mediterranean Sea. The Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) had invited them to the side event “Connecting offshore and nature protection in the Mediterranean Sea” along with EU institutions to discuss the sustainable expansion of offshore wind and grid development.
The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) welcomes two new Members in 2022
Apr 04, 2022
OCEaN is delighted to welcome two new Members: the irish TSO EirGrid and the Spanish multinational electric utility company Iberdrola.
The Rich North Sea webinar: Nature conservation in Offshore Wind Farm HKW VI, the NGO Perspective
Feb 28, 2022
In this webinar, the Rich North Sea and other participating NGOs share their thoughts on the tender criteria for the Offshore Wind Farm Hollandse Kust West VI in the Netherlands, which focused on the topic of nature conservation.
The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) welcomes a new Member
Nov 29, 2021
OCEaN is delighted to welcome a new Member: The German Network for Wind Energy - WAB e.V.
OCEaN German WG: Six recommendations for a nature-friendly development of offshore wind energy
Nov 04, 2021
The German Working Group of OCEaN has just published "Six recommendations for a nature-friendly development of offshore wind energy". They are an appeal to the coalition partners of the future German government to include these measures in the coalition agreement in order to achieve climate neutrality in Germany by 2045 and implement the European Climate Law and Europe-wide climate neutrality by 2050.
Study Launch: Offshore Biodiversity Data and Monitoring
Oct 07, 2021
RGI launched the study "A Review of Biodiversity Data Needs and Monitoring Protocols for the Offshore Wind Energy Sector in the Baltic Sea and North Sea" by author PJ Stephenson. The study commissioned by RGI is a building block towards transparent and comparable data as well as harmonised monitoring practices and a streamlined collaboration among stakeholders.
BirdLife Summary Report: How Offshore Wind Impacts Seabirds
Sep 29, 2021
BirdLife International published a Summary Report on the "Impact of offshore wind development on seabirds in the North Sea and Baltic Sea: Identification of data sources and at-risk species". The report identifies possible impacts of the growing offshore wind development on already endangered seabirds in the North and Baltic Seas and indicates how data can be used to mitigate these risks posed to marine wildlife in order for the clean energy transition to happen while protecting biodiversity.
Best Practice Webinar: Introducing the Site Wind Right map – pooling data for optimal spatial planning
Jul 15, 2021
In this best practice webinar we took a deep dive into spatial planning and the opportunities of pooling relevant data with the people behind the award-winning Site Wind Right map.
The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) welcomes two new Members
Jul 13, 2021
OCEaN is delighted to welcomes two new Members: The German Federal Association of Wind Farm Operators Offshore (BWO) & Wind Energy Ireland