Expansion of North Sea wind farms tops the agenda at Ostend energy summit

Wind turbines near the Modular Offshore Grid in the North Sea. AP - Eric Herchaft

Nine European countries are holding a summit in Belgium aimed at scaling up wind power generation in the North Sea, an effort spurred by the fall-out of the Ukraine war and the push for renewable energy sources.

Hosted by Belgium in the coastal resort of Ostend on Monday, the meeting will gather the leaders of EU members France, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen also attending.