Posted on January 28, 2026
The Joint Offshore Wind Investment Pact for the North Seas is a giant leap towards powering Europe with renewable, reliable, and cost-competitive electricity. With more investment predictability, a de-risked investment framework, and a coordinated build-out plan of up to 15 GW per year in Europe, Ørsted and the offshore wind industry is committed to bringing down the cost of electricity from offshore wind by 30 % towards 2040.
Today, at the North Sea Summit 2026 in Hamburg, the governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom, alongside the wind industry and transmission system operators (TSOs), signed the Joint Offshore Wind Investment Pact for the North Seas.
The pact will turn the North Sea into the green power plant of Europe, reaffirming 300 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050. The pact also ensures a more evenly distributed offshore build-out between 2031 and 2040, charting a path of up to 15 GW installed capacity per year in Europe.
At the same time, the governments will work towards a sound investment framework for offshore renewables through mechanisms such as national and cross-border two-sided contracts for difference (CfDs) and power purchase agreements (PPAs).
Rasmus Errboe, President and Chief Executive Officer at Ørsted, says:
“The Joint Investment Pact is a giant leap towards powering Europe with renewable, reliable, and cost-competitive electricity. The Pact shows the leadership taken by the countries in realising the offshore potential of the North Sea, and Ørsted is ready to answer to the call by investing in the build-out.”
Rasmus Errboe continues:
“Europe is our core market – with 35 years of experience and about 90 % of our operating capacity based here, our offshore wind portfolio already produces enough electricity to power around 22 million Europeans, and we’re ready to add to this number. With more investment predictability, a de-risked investment framework, and a coordinated build-out plan of up to 15 GW per year in Europe, the offshore wind industry is committed to bringing down the cost of electricity from offshore wind by 30 % towards 2040.”
By turning targets into turbines, the pact will boost European energy security, competitiveness, and decarbonisation
Today, 58 % of EU’s energy is imported. With the pact to help secure 300 GW of offshore wind in the North Sea, the offshore wind industry – which already employs around 100,000 people across Europe – is set to help save Europe around EUR 70 billion on fossil fuel imports, cut electricity prices, and reduce European carbon emissions by 15 %.
In addition, expanding production from offshore wind will significantly improve European energy security and independence.
The pact agreed today reflects the recommendations presented by the offshore wind industry in April 2025 in the proposal for ’A New Offshore Wind Deal for Europe‘, and the recommendations in Ørsted’s report: Offshore wind at a crossroads which emphasises the need for collective commitments from both governments and industry. Today’s joint pact delivers on this by addressing build-out volumes, risk-sharing, and cost reductions, contributing to deliver offshore wind at whole new scale.
Facts about Ørsted and offshore wind in Europe
- Ørsted has 35 years of experience in offshore wind and constructed the world’s first offshore wind farm at Vindeby, Denmark, in 1991.
- Ninety percent of Ørsted’s operating offshore wind assets are placed in Europe, enough to power around 22 million people.
- We have installed more than 1,600 offshore wind turbines in Europe – with a total installed capacity of 8.9 GW. Ørsted is currently constructing the world’s single largest offshore wind farm, Hornsea 3 (2,852 MW) in the UK. Additionally, Ørsted is currently constructing Borkum Riffgrund 3 (913 MW) in Germany and Baltica 2 in Poland (1,498 MW).
- Ørsted has taken the strategic decision to focus its business on offshore wind in its core European markets going forward.
- Read more about the way forward for offshore wind in Europe in Ørsted’s report: Offshore wind at a crossroads.
For further information, please contact:
Global Media Relations
Michael Korsgaard
+45 99 55 95 52
Globalmedia@orsted.com
About Ørsted
Ørsted is a global leader in developing, constructing, and operating offshore wind farms, with a core focus on Europe. Backed by more than 30 years of experience in offshore wind, Ørsted has 10.2 GW of installed offshore capacity and 8.1 GW under construction. Ørsted’s total installed renewable energy capacity spanning Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America exceeds 18 GW across a portfolio that also includes onshore wind, solar power, energy storage, bioenergy plants, and energy trading. Widely recognised as a global sustainability leader, Ørsted is guided by its vision of a world that runs entirely on green energy. Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs approximately 8,000 people. Ørsted’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Orsted). In 2024, the group’s operating profit excluding new partnerships and cancellation fees was DKK 24.8 billion (EUR 3.3 billion). Visit orsted.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
