On January 13th, Rem Koolhaas of OMA unveiled his plan to create a ring of windmills, which will ultimately provide as much energy as the oil in the Persian Gulf now.
His masterplan Zeekracht consists of a ring of cables between several windmill parks that will create a network between seven ‘North Sea countries’.
The architects thinks Europe can be ‘reasonable independent’ from oil and gas energy in 2050, thanks to wind and solar energy.

The architects describe their project as followed:

‘With its history, its ingenuity, its collective spirit, and its optimal geography, the Netherlands is poised to play a leading role in the development of the North Sea. Through policy and action, it could demonstrate the potential of individuals and nations to build towards a highly productive, cooperative and sustainable future – on land and sea.

Due to its high and consistent wind speeds, shallow waters, dense population and knowledge industry, the North Sea is arguably the most suitable area for large scale windfarming in the world. The potential magnitude of renewable energy in the North Sea in fact, approaches that of fossil fuel production in the Persian Gulf states today. In the changing landscape of 21st century energy perception and demand, the North Sea could become a major player in global energy production and trade through windpower alone.

The North Sea masterplan is envisioned as the activated result of cooperative international offshore development. Rather than a fixed spatial plan, it proposes a system of catalytic elements that while envisioned for the present, optimized for long-term sustainability. Primary components of the North Sea Masterplan include: the Energy Super-Ring –the primary infrastructure for energy distribution and supply-, the Production Belt –the industrial and institutional infrastructure supporting research and manufacturing-, the Reefs -stimulated marine ecologies reinforcing the natural eco-systems (and eco-productivity) of the sea- and the International Research Centre –promoting international cooperation, research, innovation and development.

The Dutch Sea Masterplan proposes an operative development strategy for immediate national implementation that simultaneously takes into account long term development and coordination of national and supra-national interests. Unlike the usual ‘technocratic’ planning methods based on least-conflict zoning, the Masterplan suggests a proactive and multi-dimensional approach based on enabling possibility.

The proposed circular wind farms provide destinations at sea through their explicit connection with the parties they are supplying (e.g. communities, companies, cities, etc). The farms are also designed to be sited, programmed and phased according to the evolving demands and plans of North Sea regional development. Locally, the windfarms perform a series of hybrid functions according to their location and performance mandate -depleted subsea natural gas reservoirs are used for energy storage, untapped gas fields for hybrid energy production, farms adjacent to shipping lanes act as offshore power stations, etc. Farms developed along ecological zones and around existing decommissioned platforms create marine remediation areas, new recreational parks, and recreational sea routes. At a mature stage of offshore development, wind farms are clustered along the length of the Super-Ring, distributing national surpluses and supplying regional energy needs efficiently and profitably.

A strategic blueprint comprised of wind farms that perform on multiple levels, new ‘destinations’ and new programs at sea, the Masterplan maximizes the industrial and eco productivity of the North Sea area, while activating a connection with national history and promoting constructive participation and curiosity for its wilderness.’

Read the automatically translated press release: www.zeekracht.nl.

Click here for more impressions of Master Zeekracht.