The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature – Mediterranean Sea (Med OCEaN) is officially launched today, 28 September 2023.
The Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature – Mediterranean Sea (Med OCEaN) brings together NGOs, wind industry and transmission system operators (TSOs) from across the Mediterranean basin and adjacent Atlantic waters. Med OCEaN aims to cooperate on the sustainable deployment of offshore wind and grid, while safeguarding nature and healthy marine ecosystems in the region.
Over 15 founding Members have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and committed to working together.
The work of Med OCEaN will support an integrated planning of offshore wind energy and nature in Maritime Spatial Plans and contribute to the elaboration and implementation of the European climate, energy and environmental objectives. Moreover, Med OCEaN will strive to fill knowledge gaps, monitor developments as well as impacts and efficacy of biodiversity measures applied to the offshore wind sector and grid infrastructure, and investigate innovative solutions.
Quotes from Med OCEaN Members
Antonella Battaglini, CEO at the Renewables Grid Initiative, “RGI is proud to extend the collaboration of the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature to the Mediterranean Sea. Offshore wind and grid infrastructure is key to meet EU climate and energy targets. At the same time, the protection and restoration of the marine ecosystem are vital to our economic, social and ecological wellbeing. Collaborating is the only way to avoid damages, delays and conflicts.”
Giles Dickson, CEO at WindEurope, “Offshore wind is central to Europe’s energy transition. And it’s got to help preserve and restore Europe’s oceans and seas. The wind industry, the grid operators and NGOs have been working together as the OCEaN to that end. Now that offshore wind is about to start in the Mediterranean region it makes sense for OCEaN to launch Med OCEaN. It will help keep the marine ecosystems in Europe’s southern seas healthy and productive. The energy transition and nature protection go hand in hand.”
Mauro Randone, Regional Manager Sustainable Blue Economy at WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative, “Increasing offshore renewable energy in the Mediterranean is essential for achieving climate neutrality, however this must be done while protecting marine and coastal ecosystems and biodiversity. Med OCEaN provides a great opportunity to have regional conservation and offshore renewable energy actors collaborating to address these issues jointly.”
Nailia Dindarova, Vice President Market Development at BlueFloat Energy, “Accelerating the deployment of floating offshore wind in the Mediterranean while assuring its environmental and social integration undoubtedly calls for a multilateral and joint strategy. At BlueFloat Energy we have embraced this principle from the early development stages across our Mediterranean projects in Italy, France, and Spain. Therefore, we celebrate the creation of Med OCEaN as we believe the coalition will play a crucial role in aligning TSO’s, environmental NGO’s, industry representatives, and developers on the European path towards carbon neutrality.”
Matthieu Monnier, Deputy CEO at France Renouvelables, “We are glad to support the launch of the Med OCEaN initiative in order to promote an integrated approach of the offshore wind deployment within the Mediterranean Sea and share knowledge, based on the French experience.”
Luis Velasco Bodega, Environment and Permitting Director at Red Eléctrica, “Med OCEaN is a great opportunity to join forces with diverse groups of stakeholders from across the Mediterranean Sea to achieve sustainable offshore wind and grid development.”
Francisco Ferreira, President at ZERO, “The Med OCEaN will also support the expansion of renewable energy production in the Atlantic coast of countries close to the Mediterranean, such as Portugal, under a participatory and sustainable framework.”
