Offshore wind executive of Germany has issued a dire warning: Stay away, military types — or risk that renewable energy facilities become targets.
Keep the Military Out From Offshore Wind Farm
The line in the sand was drawn by the head of Germany’s Offshore Wind Federation (BWO) Stefan Thimm while addressing a high-profile conference on offshore wind.
“It is inadmissible to operate military facilities at wind farms,” stated Thimm.
“We are civilian energy suppliers — not battlefields.”
Stefan argued that the offshore wind industry is prepared to protect itself in the digital sphere — where it should fight cyber attacks and report suspect vessel activity — though the infrastructure must be absolutely nonmilitarized.
“We’re utility companies. We were serious about providing an energy supply around here. But we are not combat zones.”
The BWO is a German offshore wind farm operator’s sector platform which is essential for the development of Europe’s renewable energy supply. With geopolitical tensions on the up, and the critical infrastructure increasingly becoming a new battlefield in security debates, Thimm’s statement is a strong one:
Offshore wind should be used to power homes — not to host weapons.
EU Ambitious 2030 Energy Efficiency Goal – Almost 45% of It Must Be Renewable!
Europe is betting big on clean energy — and that bet is unlikely to be early.
The EU increased its 2020 target in the European Union Energy Directive 2009/28/EC from 20% to 38% on October 2014. The new target for renewables by 2030 of at least 42.5% but with a possibility to be raised to 45% under the revised Renewable Energy Directive EU/2023/2413 that entered into force on 20 November 2023.
This is a huge increase on the 32% level adopted in 2018 and reflects the EU’s enhanced climate ambition under the European Green Deal and in response to global energy crises.
From (20%) in 2020 to (42.5%) in 2030
The 2020 target: 20 percent of the total amount of energy consumed will be from renewables.
2020 final result: 22.1%, which was a surprise according to Eurostat and the EU Commission.
2030’s ultimate binding goal: 42.5 per cent, with a 45 per cent aspiration.
This transition results from a couple of regulatory changes:
2018: Directive 2018/2001/EU establishes a 32% target.
2021: The EU Commission recommends increasing the threshold to 40%.
2022: The REPowerEU plan increases the ambition to 45%, with the goal to reduce reliance on Russian fossil fuels.
2023: The guidance is officially revised and approved.
Getting Clean Energy Deployed at Scale More Quickly
The EU has gone beyond higher targets, and has put in place emergency measures to speed up the issuance of permits for renewables projects and to boost power purchase agreements (PPAs) — in effect speeding up the switch towards solar, wind and other green sources in areas such as the industry, buildings and transport.
What’s Next?
With energy demand growing and the clock ticking, pressure is on EU countries to deploy renewable solutions at a furious pace, if at all possible. The new directive not only raises the bar; it essentially dares the bloc to nearly double its share of renewables in less than a decade.
Conclusion: A green future, not a war zone
On Europe’s ambitious renewable energy targets – and the infrastructure that supports them – must be civil, safe and sustainable. Saturang, experts are wrong
As the EU moves towards its 2030 target of 42.5% renewable energy, it must protect the integrity of its energy resources from both cyber and political threats, as the militarization of offshore wind farms risks turning them from beacons of sustainability into strategic vulnerabilities.
The future of energy is green – not a green light for conflict
