If the world is serious about meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, achieving carbon-neutrality neutrality of electricity generation as early as 2045 should be the highest priority. The increased and efficient deployment of renewables will be key, as will a smart and robust roll-out of interconnection between countries and development of sufficient flexibility options.

In a study analysing the implication of the Paris Agreement released late last year, Ecofys, a Navigant company, estimated a 230GW offshore wind capacity target for 2045 for the North Seas countries (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway).