Politicians and representatives of the European wind industry recently gathered in Madrid for the annual WindEurope conference. The key takeaway was this: an impressive ten-point plan to accelerate the expansion of self-generated electricity in order to bolster our energy security. These visionary ambitions have since been signed off on at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg, so the time has come to act! Read on to discover the three fundamental conditions for the swift implementation of more offshore wind energy in both Europe and Belgium.

How do we achieve more electrification and greater energy security?

The current energy crisis is an oil and gas crisis at its core. And that’s no minor detail, as today, we still rely on fossil fuels for 75% of our energy consumption. As such, more electrification is vital if we want to bolster our energy security. To achieve this, we need to see these three essential conditions fulfilled:

1. A transparent auction framework with predictable tenders: a well-defined auction procedure, clear timeline and an efficient award process will help us roll out more wind capacity faster.
2. A stronger offshore and onshore power grid: without connections to the grid, the electricity generated won’t find its way to end users.
3. Lower investment risks: two-way Contracts for Difference (CfDs) give investors more certainty about their returns, even as market prices fluctuate.

What is the current state of play in the Belgian offshore wind industry?

In Belgium, the rollout of the Princess Elisabeth Zone has been on the agenda for some time. It is high time that we rolled up our sleeves and started construction of the three plots in question. The recent launch of the revised tender for the first plot, fully guaranteed by a CfD mechanism, is a major step in the right direction.

Maximum transparency is now required to ensure the project can be delivered quickly, both in terms of documentation and timeline. When will the first plot be completed? When will construction start on the second and third plot? And how many gigawatts will each plot deliver? These are all relevant questions that demand absolute transparency.

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