The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) is a coalition of NGOs, wind industry and transmission system operators, who joined forces in late 2020 to cooperate on the sustainable deployment of offshore wind, while ensuring alignment with nature protection and healthy marine ecosystems.
In early 2021, the group welcomed three organisations as new Members: SeaWind Ocean Technology, Germanwatch and National Grid Ventures. Each new Member brings unique expertise from different fields of offshore development.
Vincent De Wulf, CEO of SeaWind, said "It is vital to both me personally and to the company that we commit our support to organisations such as the Offshore Coalition in every way we can. The values and technology of Seawind are fundamentally aligned to support the preservation of the marine environment and provide economic support to local communities and the supply chain in the markets where we will launch our innovative and disruptive technology, our 2 bladed floating wind turbines. Reducing environmental impact is built into the very fabric of our technology, where we use up to 25% less steel, less materials overall and support the circular economy. Which results in a lower CO2 footprint all whilst producing energy far more efficiently."
Christoph Bals, Germanwatch's Policy Director said, "Germanwatch joins the Offshore Coalition because we believe in the power of cooperation for solving societal challenges like the one at hand: jointly identifying sustainable and ecologically sensitive ways to harness the offshore wind potential for climate mitigation."
Jon Butterworth, Managing Director of National Grid Ventures said, "We’re delighted to be joining the Offshore Coalition, which brings together organisations committed to sustainable offshore development. Europe and the UK have set ambitious targets to accelerate North Sea wind and reach net zero by 2050, which requires a significant increase in offshore infrastructure. As a leading developer and operator of subsea electricity interconnectors, National Grid understands the critical importance of protecting the marine environment. That’s why we’re very excited to be part of an incredible coalition of TSOs, wind developers, environmental NGOs, and industry bodies. Working closely together we can achieve our mutual objective to scale up offshore wind and fight climate change, while taking the necessary steps to protect coastal communities and marine ecosystems."
