Defence role proposed for offshore wind infrastructure

North Sea offshore wind infrastructure could have a major role to play in boosting security across Europe, according to a new report.

The E3G think-tank said allocating a portion of defence spending to offshore wind infrastructure could  improve defences against emerging security threats,

The report urges the leaders of North Seas countries to tale a security-by-design approach for expanding energy infrastructure.

Deploying new “dual-use” infrastructure and upgrading existing wind assets with security equipment could strengthen surveillance and protection capabilities, it said.

The construction of dual-use infrastructure could be funded using domestic defence and security spending in line with NATO commitments.