Beyond turbines: Powering the Future and boosting marine nature

Europe is committed to expanding wind energy capacity to address the climate crisis while bolstering energy security, with a significant share of wind infrastructure planned at sea. At the same time, the European Commission and EU Member States have set ambitious plans to protect and restore marine ecosystems to address the biodiversity crisis, with binding targets for 2030. However, these commitments and the respective European policy frameworks must be coherent and aligned to ensure their effective implementation and the achievement of our shared objectives. 

To tackle this, the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) is organising an interactive two-part workshop to explore how policies can be translated into implementation and concrete projects, aiming to find solutions together. 

In our first session, wind developers, Transmission System Operators (TSOs), NGOs, and policymakers will share their perspectives on aligning the interests of different sea users with nature and offshore wind infrastructure. Through an active debate, we will examine the complexities of the most pressing challenges in planning at the national and sea basin levels and identify solutions to expand offshore wind while protecting nature.  

Our second session will showcase concrete examples of ecosystem restoration and nature-inclusive design solutions implemented by offshore wind developers and TSOs, or in collaboration with them. Panellists will present their existing projects, discuss the challenges they have encountered, and share their plans for scaling up these solutions. Expert speakers from across OCEaN’s Membership will showcase how various sectors can work together to develop a nature-friendly offshore energy future. 

Attendance at the event is by invitation only.