The EU has an energy problem, that’s nothing new. With geopolitical issues surrounding Russian gas the initial German plans to phase out coal for gas seem very uncertain. Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark have found an alternative: artificial islands in the North Sea that will convert wind energy to hydrogen for energy storage or direct use on shore.
The move means a tenfold increase in power generated from wind turbines at sea and is set to produce the equivalence of 30 nuclear reactors. The fact that there is an integrated energy storage solution (hydrogen) means that the plan recognizes a key issue that we’ve had with renewables so far: there’s no easy way to store excess energy.
If you’re interested in the energy future of the EU and the technological advancements in the field these two articles are a great read.