Page 304 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΜΑΙΟΣ 2024

ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

sian invasion of Ukraine and various acts of sab-
otage to energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea
have created new security concerns. The signa-
tories commit to deter possible malign activities
against offshore and underwater infrastructure
within NATO and the EU.
On Wednesday, 10 April, eight Baltic Sea coun-
tries, the European Union and representatives of
NATO, the European Agency for the Cooperation
of Energy Regulators (ACER), European trans-
mission system operators (TSOs) and the Euro-
pean wind industry met in Vilnius for the Baltic
Sea High-Level Energy Security Meeting 2024.
The Baltic Sea countries have embarked on a
rapid expansion of offshore wind and transmis-
sion capacity, and already in 2023, Lithuania,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia,
Poland, and Sweden committed to increasing
offshore wind in the Baltic Sea from 3.1 GW today
to 19.6 GW by 2030.
The Vilnius Declaration agreed today reaf-
firms the countries’ determination to rapidly
implement the actions outlined in the EU Wind
Power Package to unlock the Baltic Sea’s “vast
untapped resources of offshore wind”. The coun-
tries pledge to decarbonise their energy systems
-2023 was a year of continued global growth – 54 “as soon as possible”. They want to collaborate
countries representing all continents built new in phasing out Russian fossil fuels and replacing
wind power them, in particular, with competitive and home-
-GWEC has revised its 2024-2030 growth fore- grown renewables.
cast (1210GW) upwards by 10% in response to The signatories acknowledge the “immense
the establishment of national industrial policies potential” of offshore wind in the Baltic Sea for
in major economies, gathering momentum in off- decarbonisation, diversification, electrification,
shore wind and promising growth among emerg- and the production of renewable hydrogen.
ing markets and developing economies. They want to develop a strong and resilient wind
Still, the wind industry must roughly triple its energy supply chain in the Baltic Sea countries
annual growth from a level of 117 GW in 2023 to to meet the expected increased demand for off-
at least 320 GW by 2030 to meet the COP28 and shore wind projects. This includes investments
1.5C degree pathway targets. in grids and port infrastructure.
The Global Wind Report provides a roadmap for
how this can be done. GWEC calls on policymak- MOL INAUGURATES THE LARGEST GREEN
ers, investors, and communities to work together HYDROGEN PLANT IN CENTRAL AND
across the key areas of investment, supply chains, EASTERN EUROPE
system infrastructure and public consensus to set MOL Group has handed over a 10-megawatt
the conditions for wind energy growth to take off capacity green hydrogen plant in Százhalom-
through to 2030 and beyond. batta, which is the largest in Central and Eastern
Europe. The €22 million investment makes fuel
BALTIC SEA COUNTRIES PLEDGE production more sustainable: the plant will reduce
CLOSER COLLABORATION TO SECURE the Danube Refinery’s carbon dioxide emissions
CRITICAL OFFSHORE ENERGY by 25,000 tonnes. MOL will be able to produce
INFRASTRUCTURE 1,600 tonnes of clean, carbon-neutral green
The Energy Ministers of 8 Baltic Sea countries – hydrogen per year, which opens a new chapter
Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, in the hydrogen economy. The investment is in
Latvia, Poland, and Sweden agreed on the Vil- line with the MOL Group’s SHAPE TOMORROW
nius Declaration, pledging closer collaboration to corporate strategy to make the region more sus-
secure critical offshore energy infrastructure in tainable, competitive, and self-sufficient.
the Baltic Sea region. This comes after the Rus- MOL Group’s goal is to provide the solutions for

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