UK joins major North Sea offshore wind project with European partners

(MENAFN) The UK will participate in a major new offshore wind project in the North Sea alongside eight other European nations, including Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands.

The government said the initiative will enhance energy security by providing relief from the "fossil fuel rollercoaster." For the first time, some of the wind farms will be interconnected between multiple countries using undersea cables, known as interconnectors, which proponents say could help reduce electricity prices across the region.

However, the arrangement may be controversial, as wind operators could sell power to the highest bidder among participating countries, potentially driving up prices when supply is limited.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is set to sign a declaration on Monday in Hamburg at a meeting on the North Sea’s future, pledging to complete the project by 2050.

Jane Cooper, deputy CEO of RenewableUK, said the agreement would "drive down costs for billpayers" while also boosting "the energy security of the UK and the whole of the North Sea region significantly."

Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Countinho cautioned that "we cannot escape the fact that the rush to build wind farms at breakneck speed is pushing up everybody's energy bills."

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