The Belgian wind farms (Mermaid, Nobelwind, Belwind, Seastar, Northwind, Rentel, C-Power, Northwester 2 and Norther) in the North Sea have a below-average year behind them in terms of wind supply.

The Eastern zone, with its nine wind farms, has been fully operational since 2020. As a result, 2025 marks the fifth year that this major Belgian offshore power station has operated with its production capacity fully installed. After a good year for wind in 2023 (with 8 TWh of offshore wind production) and an average 2024 (with 7.1 TWh), the annual production of our offshore wind farms in the North Sea was lower than average in 2025 due to a limited supply of wind, despite the high availability of our farms.

In 2025, our farms contributed a total of approximately 6.6 TWh into the Belgian power grid, a figure that corresponds to the annual electricity needs of around 1.9 million families. Offshore wind in Belgium supplied enough electricity to meet 8.2% of total consumption in 2025.

The Belgian offshore wind farms have a total capacity of 2,262 MW. That’s enough to keep Belgium in the top five countries in Europe when it comes to installed offshore wind power, after the United Kingdom (16.6 GW), Germany (9.1 GW), the Netherlands (4.7 GW) and Denmark (2.7 GW).

Princess Elisabeth Zone (PEZ)

With its gaze firmly set on the future, the Belgian offshore wind sector continues to innovate and expand.

Three new wind farms in the Princess Elisabeth Zone are due to increase offshore wind capacity in the Belgian part of the North Sea up to a maximum of 5.8 GW.

The public tender for the initial 700 MW tranche was launched on 25 November 2024 but withdrawn in 2025, with a view to relaunching in spring 2026. As the offshore grid is already under construction, there is no time to waste in getting an initial wind farm up and running.

Offshore wind is a ‘no-regret’ solution for Belgium, as has been demonstrated by various studies, including one by Energyville and the Blueprint study by Elia, and as confirmed by the most recent study by the Federal Planning Bureau. Owing partly to low maintenance costs and the fact that the selling price of electricity is fixed for a period of 20 years under the so-called ‘two-way contract for difference’ mechanism (CfD), offshore wind in the Belgian part of the North Sea is a cheap source of locally produced renewable electricity. On top of that, this locally produced electricity is not dependent on the import of fuels from abroad. The timely realisation of additional offshore wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea is not only set to contribute to our country achieving its climate objectives, but will also boost our energy independence, make our industry more competitive and offer a solution to the growing demand from families and businesses for sustainable electricity.

Regardless of the fact that investment in offshore wind keeps on rising, the current context for the development of offshore wind in Europe remains challenging. Over the past year, tenders in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Lithuania have failed, or projects that had been awarded were not realised. Not only is profitability under pressure due to higher financing costs, but concessions awarded through competitive auction are failing too due to volatility and uncertainty about future electricity prices. The short-run marginal price for the sale of electricity is no longer high enough to sustain investment over the long term, regardless of the technology used.

Governments are stepping in to improve the situation. Denmark, the Netherlands and (probably) Germany are dropping the inefficient model of concessions awarded through competitive auction in favour of contracts for difference (CfDs), which are much more efficient, and which have been used successfully in other countries. Just like capacity remuneration mechanisms (CRM), CfDs guarantee a stable income and allow parties to compete with one another to offer the lowest possible price. These types of contracts enable developers to build a wind farm at the lowest possible cost, which in turn results in lower prices and more price stability on the electricity market. Belgium too will be offering this type of mechanism for the PEZ tenders.

BOP continues to advocate for the implementation of a full CfD mechanism for the tendering process for the PEZ system, so that a competitive bidding system has every chance of success. To meet the proposed timeline, approval must be obtained from the European Commission as soon as possible, and candidate developers must be given the necessary clarity regarding the framework for grid connection, as well on several other tender elements that could lead to the lowest bid price. In addition, greater clarity is needed regarding the implementation of the Net Zero Industry Act.

The CfD mechanism not only offers developers income security over the long term, which has a favourable effect on funding, as the latter is no longer susceptible to fluctuations in the electricity market price, but also has a general price-stabilising effect on the volatile electricity market, which benefits consumers. On top of that, systems like these offer a better guarantee for the effective realisation of the project, and in case of any unexpected profits, the surplus finds its way back to society. A full two-way CfD mechanism would also enable a wider range of bidders to take part in the tender, increasing competition and further reducing the eventual price along the way.