Belgium

Introduction

By the end 2025, the total land-based installed wind capacity in Belgium had reached 3.589 GW and offshore wind 2.262 GW, which is an only land-based increase of 307 MW in 2024.

The first offshore zone has been completed and in 2025, the 399 wind turbines, spread over 9 offshore wind parks, generated approximately 6.92 TWh (8.9% of the total electricity demand in Belgium). The second offshore zone, the Princess Elisabeth Zone, is in the phase of starting a first tender, with a first parcel of 700MW. This tender was already launched, but has been postponed and will restart in 2026. A public consultation is held in April 2026 with regards to the proposed changes. The proposed tender conditions are:

• An extension of the construction period from 4 to 5 years.
• Objective and transparent conditions for all candidates.
• A strengthened regulatory framework that clearly defines risks.
• Application of European state aid rules, with particular attention to sustainability and resilience.
• A support mechanism via a two-sided Contract for Difference (CfD).
• A simplification of administrative obligations.
• Flexibility regarding public participation.

In 2025, Belgium allocated significant resources towards advancing offshore wind technologies, optimizing onshore wind farm performance, and integrating wind energy into the national grid either via provincial and regional innovation subsidies but also via the federal Energy Transition Fund (ETF) framework.

Market Development

Targets and Policy

The federal government began planning the first Belgian offshore wind farm in the North Sea in 2003, and in 2004 created a 156 km² area in the Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in international waters for wind farms. The first wind turbines were installed in this area in 2009.

Regarding offshore wind power, the transmission system operator (TSO), Elia, is obligated to buy green certificates from generators at a minimum price set by federal legislation. This system was established in 2002 and amended multiple times over the years. Purchase agreements must be approved by the regulator, CREG. Purchase obligations apply for a period of 19 or 20 years depending on multiple parameters. They may not exceed the depreciation period.

Construction works for the building of the Princess Elisabeth Island will be finalized in 2026 (excluding electrical installations), which will connect the planned offshore wind farms in the western Princess Elisabeth Zone (see Figure 1). The connection of a hybrid interconnector (Nautilus) with the United Kingdom is also foreseen in the plans. Ofgem, the energy regulator for Great Britain (GB), has published its Decision on the Initial Project Assessment of the Offshore Hybrid Asset Pilot Projects. The list includes a positive evaluation of Nautilus, the first hybrid interconnector to link the United Kingdom and Belgium.

It has been decided that the Princess Elisabeth Zone will be divided into at least two parcels. The tender for the first parcel of 700 MW has been postponed till late 2026.

A public consultation on the legal framework of the competitive tendering procedure is performed from the 20th till the 30th of April 2026. Further information on the first tendering procedure and the possible next lots will be published on the website of the Federal Public Service Economy: https://economie.fgov.be/en/themes/energy/sources-and-carriers-energy/offshore/organisation-offshore-tenders

To facilitate the development of the new offshore wind energy zone, the Belgian government has decided to carry out a number of preliminary studies and to publish them: https://economie.fgov.be/en/themes/energy/belgian-offshore-wind-energy/preliminary-studies-carried

Development beyond the second offshore wind zone will be difficult and Belgium is exploring the option of interconnection with or developing new offshore wind capacity in the waters of other countries.

Progress and Operational Details

Land-based wind capacity remained low until 2004. By the end 2025, the total land-based installed capacity in Belgium had reached 3,590 MW.

Offshore wind-generated electricity first began in 2009 and progressed rapidly to a total of 2,262 MW in 2020 which is comparable to the capacity of the two largest nuclear reactors (Doel 4 and Tihange 3) combined.

All nine wind farms (399 wind turbines) in the Belgian North Sea have been fully operational since December 2020. This means that 2025 is the fifth year with fully installed generation capacity for this major Belgian power plant. During these five years, the annual generation of green electricity has remained relatively constant with the first two years being around 6.6-6.9 TWh, it had larger generation of 8 TWh in 2023 and fell back to 7.2 TWh in 2024 and 6.9TWh in 2025.

Matters Affecting Growth and Work to Remove Barriers

Work to remove barriers to new wind energy projects continues. Such barriers include spatial planning limitations (i.e., military, aeronautical, or traffic-related restrictions) and lengthy permitting procedures. The federal administration has created a 'one-stop-shop' aimed at simplifying and speeding up the license procedures.

Lengthy legal procedures also affect the sector. For example, cases where local communities appealed against the construction of wind energy facilities have taken years to resolve. Such legal cases could potentially be avoided by involving the local communities more closely at the project planning stage and by offering them the opportunity to take part in investments through cooperatives.

The main issue affecting growth for wind is the number of judicial appeals filed at the State Council, which has severely hindered the development of land-based wind farms both in the Flemish and Wallonia regions. Belgium has limited space for wind energy compared to many other countries, which limits further large-scale expansion of wind energy.

RD&D Activities

National R,D&D Priorities and Budget

Belgium continues to prioritize both onshore and offshore wind energy as a key component of its renewable energy strategy. The National research & Development and demonstration (RD&D) Priorities and relevant budgets for wind energy innovation reflect a strong commitment to innovation and sustainability in all Belgian regions. In 2022, Belgium allocated significant resources towards advancing offshore wind technologies, optimizing onshore wind farm performance, and integrating wind energy into the national grid either via provincial and regional innovation subsidies but also via the federal Energy Transition Fund (ETF) framework, with the latter specifically focusing on the offshore wind and offshore grid infrastructure.

The RD&D programs focus on different improvements such as turbine production efficiency gains through the use of AI, enhancing predictive maintenance technologies, and minimizing environmental impacts through e.g. Nature Inclusive Design. The programs encourage collaborative efforts between government, academia, and industry to drive technological advancements and cost reductions. An example of such collaboration is described in the OWI-Lab collaboration framework. The budget for wind energy RD&D has seen a marked increase, emphasizing Belgium's dedication to achieving its renewable energy targets and contributing to the global energy transition. In the Flemish region, Wind energy R&I is funded through bottom-up funding programmes, there is no specific R&I funding programme for Wind. As a result, public R&I expenditure for Wind energy fluctuate from year to year: 4.9 million euro (2022); 6.7 million euro (2023); 3.48 million euro (2025). The Blue Cluster, a cluster organization funded by the Flemish Government supports Flemish companies in setting up partnerships with other companies, knowledge centres and government agencies in view of facilitating and supporting innovation in all offshore economic activities (including wind energy). On the Federal level (offshore wind) 8.574 million euros were allocated in 2025 via The Energy Transition Fund. This strategic approach ensures that Belgium remains at the forefront of (offshore) wind energy innovation and deployment.

National Research Initiatives and Results

The OWI-Lab collaboration continues to play a central role in coordinating offshore wind research activities in Belgium. In 2025, the OWI-CREATE project entered its second phase, focusing on consolidating national expertise and structuring the Offshore Energy Centre of Excellence. At the same time, OWI-Lab strengthened its international visibility through cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange, notably via Belgian–Norwegian cooperation involving Innovation Norway, SINTEF and NTNU, and through its contribution to broader European offshore wind innovation networks. In addition, OWI-Lab organised the first Belgian Academic Offshore Wind PhD Day, bringing together more than 40 PhD researchers from Belgian universities and institutes. This reflects ongoing efforts in institution-building, talent development, and stronger coordination between academia, industry and test infrastructure.

In parallel, the BE-WISE project played an important role in bringing offshore wind more firmly into Belgium's industrial-policy debate. Through public-facing analyses on the sector's economic structure, policy preferences and state support, the project contributed to a more strategic understanding of how Belgian offshore wind competitiveness can be maintained in an increasingly challenging European and geopolitical context. The project aims to strategically position the Belgian offshore wind industry for success, focusing on promoting economic competitiveness, decarbonization, and supply security.

Across the research landscape, activities in 2025 highlighted growing Belgian expertise in key areas such as floating offshore wind, digital and data-driven operation and maintenance, structural health monitoring, and circular solutions for wind turbine components. De Blauwe Cluster continued to support innovation networking and roadmap development, including initiatives related to floating wind, thereby contributing to the further structuring and visibility of Belgian offshore wind research and innovation.

At the same time, a stronger strategic emphasis emerged on the protection and resilience of critical maritime infrastructure linked to offshore energy. New roadmapping and policy initiatives addressed maritime security, monitoring, and repair capacity, reflecting a broader shift towards treating offshore wind assets and associated infrastructure as critical systems requiring enhanced resilience.

This outward-looking approach is also reflected in international cooperation. The 2025–2027 action plan between Flanders and Scotland includes offshore energy exchanges and planned visits to Ostend, further positioning Belgian research and innovation actors within a wider European offshore energy context.

In terms of system integration, KU Leuven/EnergyVille continued to advance research through the ETCH expertise centre, which focuses on planning, protecting and controlling hybrid AC/DC grids. This work is directly relevant to the development of the Princess Elisabeth Island and the broader challenge of integrating offshore wind into the Belgian and North Sea electricity system, with increasing attention to hybrid assets and offshore grid configurations.

Finally, Belgium further strengthened its participation in European RD&D initiatives, particularly in the context of North Sea energy cooperation and cross-border infrastructure development, reinforcing its position within the evolving European offshore energy landscape.

Test Facilities and Demonstration Projects

• In 2025, the Blue Accelerator test infrastructure was further expanded and structured through the Test@Sea project. Besides continued use of the existing monopile test site, progress was made to develop a broader modular offshore testing ecosystem, including a new test platform, a measurement buoy and related monitoring infrastructure, while additional frames and sensors supported materials research and inspection activities. The platform must be increasingly positioned as a real-sea validation environment enabling the transition from laboratory and basin testing to first offshore deployments.
• The Coastal and Ocean Basin (COB) further strengthened its role as an advanced testing facility for offshore renewable energy. The facility seeks continuous expansion of its capabilities, e.g., including a retractable sand bed for sediment and scour testing under realistic wave–current interactions. In addition, it supported 3D physical modelling campaigns on nature-inclusive scour protection systems for offshore monopile foundations and cable infrastructure, and hosted testing linked to multi-use offshore energy concepts combining offshore wind with other marine technologies.
• Sirris further strengthened Belgium's testing infrastructure through the development of next-generation climatic testing facilities for large offshore energy systems. In 2025, a new mobile climatic test chamber (up to −40 °C) and the expansion of one of Europe's largest climatic test facilities (up to ~16.5 m in length) were confirmed, enabling full-scale testing of components for 15–20 MW offshore wind turbines under extreme environmental conditions such as cold, icing and thermal loads.
• Industrial-scale testing infrastructure, such as the ZF Wind Power validation test bench (30 MW powertrain test rig), becomes fully operational in 2025, enabling system validation (gearbox + bearings + generator) under realistic loads and dynamics.

New RD&D projects to highlight (non-exhaustive list)

DECOMPASS (ETF): Develops a quantitative decision-support framework to evaluate offshore wind decommissioning strategies, combining techno-economic modelling, life cycle assessment and marine impact analysis. It also considers dismantling techniques, logistics, port infrastructure and stakeholder involvement to support sustainable end-of-life management.

EXCALIBUR (ETF): Focuses on innovative monopile extraction techniques (e.g. vibratory extraction and jetting), combining experimental testing (lab to in-situ scale) with numerical modelling of soil–structure interaction and ageing effects to improve predictability and efficiency of decommissioning operations.

HYACINT (ETF): Investigates how offshore hydrogen production can reduce curtailment of wind turbines by converting excess electricity into hydrogen. The project develops techno-economic scenarios and concepts for offshore electrolysis platforms and their integration into the energy system.

BUBBLES (ETF): Develops offshore-compatible PEM electrolysers for hydrogen production from offshore wind, focusing on autonomous operation, reduced maintenance needs and reliability under harsh marine conditions, with the aim of enabling future offshore hydrogen value chains.

SWiF (ETF): Focuses on predictive maintenance of wind turbine components, using sensor-based monitoring to detect faults and improve reliability, contributing to reduced operational costs and improved performance of offshore wind farms.

BEPOWERING (ETF): Assesses repowering strategies for the Belgian offshore wind fleet, analysing their impact on long-term energy production (towards 2060) using advanced wind modelling (including wake and climate effects), and developing decision-support tools for policymakers.

ECOGBF (VLAIO): Develops nature-based and biodiversity-enhancing solutions for offshore wind infrastructure, contributing to nature-inclusive design and improved ecological integration of offshore wind farms.

I3-FLOAT (Interreg/I3): Supports the development of floating offshore wind innovation ecosystems, focusing on regional cooperation, industrial scaling and roadmap development to accelerate deployment of floating wind technologies in Europe.

COMPASS (Horizon Europe): Develops a comprehensive sustainability assessment platform for offshore wind farms, integrating environmental, economic and social dimensions across the full life cycle, including design optimisation, circularity and co-use of marine space.

Collaborative Research

International collaboration is considered essential to accelerate the needed investments in research and development in renewable energy, such as in wind. To that end, the Federal Public Service of Economy became a member of the IEA Wind Technology Collaboration Program in 2015.

Belgium is active in several tasks of IEA Wind. (11, 41, 46, 48, 50, 56, 58, 59 and 65)

Impact of Wind Energy

Economic Benefits

The wind energy sector creates excellent economic opportunities. Being active in this industry has also created opportunities for exports of material and services. In addition to wind farm constructions, there is a need to build grid infrastructure, grid connections, and connections with neighboring countries.

The impact on employment is substantial, and jobs are created in the design, construction, maintenance, and replacement of wind farms, in addition to the permanent workforce, often in areas with few job opportunities. The offshore wind industry supports about 16,000 jobs in Belgium, including export activities, construction and operations, and maintenance. More specifically, the offshore wind industry will continue to provide significant direct and indirect contributions to the energy sector, which has about 50,000 direct jobs today.

Environmental Impact

In addition to adding sustainable energy capacity, offshore wind energy developments also increase biodiversity, specifically organisms such as sea corals and plants. Offshore wind turbine foundations form artificial reefs, where mussels and other sea life grow. The foundations also contribute to the growing fish population, providing many opportunities to further develop the marine culture in the Belgian North Sea.

Next Term

Belgium has postponed the tender for the second offshore zone until 2026. The awarding of the tender is foreseen by the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027.