Wind power in Belgium

Wind power in Belgium depends partially on regional governments (Brussels-Capital Region, Flemish Region, Walloon Region) and partially on the Belgian federal government. Wind energy producers in both the Flemish and Walloon regions get green certificates but not with the same conditions.

Wind turbine in the Thorntonbank Wind Farm.

By year end 2019 Belgium had 3,879 MW installed capacity of windpower, 2,323 MW of which were land based and 1,556 MW of offshore wind power[1] producing a total of 8,120 GWh of electricity generation.[2] The percentage of electricity demand met by wind grew to about 9.5% by end 2019.[3] By the end of 2020, offshore wind power is planned to increase by 706 MW.[4]

Wind turbines are mainly installed offshore, in the Flemish and in the Walloon Regions. Brussels-Capital Region is an urban area which is not particularly suited for large wind turbines. Smaller turbines more appropriate for urban environments are being studied but until today no technology is deemed sufficiently efficient.[5]

Installed capacity and generation
Wind power installed capacity (MW) and generation (GWh) in Belgium.[6]
Year Offshore Land-based Total electricity generation all sources (GWh) Total wind generation (GWh) Electrical generation met by wind (%)*
Capacity (MW) Generation (GWh) Capacity (MW) Generation (GWh)
2000 14 16 84,012 16 0.02%
2001 26 37 79,821 37 0.05%
2002 31 57 82,069 57 0.07%
2003 67 88 84,643 88 0.10%
2004 96 142 85,025 142 0.17%
2005 167 227 87,025 227 0.26%
2006 212 366 85,617 366 0.43%
2007 276 491 88,822 491 0.55%
2008 324 637 84,930 637 0.75%
2009 30 82 577 914 91,235 996 1.09%
2010 197 190 716 1,102 95,189 1,292 1.36%
2011 197 709 873 1,603 90,241 2,312 2.56%
2012 381 854 989 1,897 82,923 2,751 3.32%
2013 708 1,540 1,084 2,147 83,526 3,687 4.41%
2014 708 2,216 1,222 2,398 72,687 4,614 6.35%
2015 712 2,613 1,517 2,855 68,138 5,468 8.02%
2016 712 2,340 3,048 ~82,500 5,338 6.47%
2017 877 2,645 3,644 ~82,900 6,289 7.59%
2018 1,186 3,408 3,196 ~69,200 6,604 9.54%
2019 1,556 4,645 2,278 3,474 8,119
* Based on table without other adjustments.

Land based installed wind capacity grew to 2,278 MW in 2019 producing 3,474 GWh of electricity, while offshore wind installed capacity grew to 1,556 MW offshore installed capacity producing 4,645 GWh, reflecting the better wind conditions at sea and associated higher capacity factor. In 2019 the capacity factors for land based wind power in Belgium was 30% and for offshore 53%.[7] Offshore wind power thus operates at its full capacity almost twice as often on average as compared to onshore wind power in Belgium.

Offshore wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea
See also: List of offshore wind farms in the North Sea
Offshore wind power current and future installations by project, 2018
Project name MW Turbines Date operational
C-Power 325 54 Phase 1 operational since 2009

Phase 2 operational since 2012
Phase 3 operational since 2013

Belwind 171 56 55 turbines operational since 2010

1 turbine operational since 2013

Northwind 216 72 Operational since 2014
Nobelwind 165 50 Operational since 2017
Rentel 309 42 Operational since 2018
Norther 370 44 Operational since 2019
Total operational 1556 318 End 2019
Northwester 2 219 23 Commissioning expected 2020
Seamade 487 58 Commissioning expected 2020
Total in construction 706 81 from End 2020
Total capacity 2262 399 from End 2020


By year end 2019 Belgium had six active offshore wind power projects totalling 318 turbines and 1556 MW of power. A further 2 offshore projects are in the construction phase and projected to total an additional 706 MW of windpower capacity in 2020. The distance of the projects from shore typically range from 23 to 54 km, and the bathymetry of the water indicates the turbines will be based in waters typically between 14 and 40 meters deep.[8]

Active projects

C-Power

C-Power (Thorntonbank) was the first wind farm operational in the Belgian North Sea. Its first construction phase was completed in May 2009.[9] This phase was a demonstration phase, with the installation of 6 turbines of 5 MW (= 30 MW).[10] The construction of the second and the third phases was finalized on September 2013.[11] A total of 48 turbines of 6.15 MW were installed during thoses two phases (= 295.2 MW).[10] C-Power has therefore a total of 54 turbines, with a combined capacity of 325.2 MW. The turbines generate around 1050 GWh per year, which can provide electricity to 300.000 homes.[12]

Belwind

Belwind (Bligh Bank Offshore Wind Farm) has an installed capacity of 165 MW, which can provide electricity to 160.000 homes. Belwind's wind farm is operational since December 2010.[13]

Northwind

Northwind is located on the Lodewijk Bank and has a total of 72 turbines of 3MW each, with a combined capacity of 216 MW. It was commissioned in May 2014 and can provide electricity to 250.000 homes.[14]

Nobelwind

Nobelwind's construction was completed in May 2017 and the wind farm is fully operational since December 2017.[15] With its 50 windturbines of 3,3 MW each, the farm has a combined capacity of 165 MW, which can provide electricity to 160.000 homes.[16]

Rentel

A project by Otary RS. Rentel has a total of 42 turbines of 7.35 MW each, with a combined capacity of 309 MW.[17] It was commissioned in September 2018 and can provide electricity to 300.000 homes.[18] The transformer platform also carries electricity from Seastar, Mermaid and Northwester 2.[19]

Norther

The Norther wind farm has a total of 44 Vestas turbines with a 370 MW total capacity. The Norther wind project is operational since 2019.[20]

Projects in construction

Northwester 2

A project by Parkwind NV. The Northwester 2 farm will comprise 23 Vestas turbines with a 219 MW capacity.[21] The Northwester 2 wind turbines will be operational and start producing green energy in 2020.[22]

Seamade

A project by Otary RS. The Seamade wind farm is the result of the merger of the former Seastar and Mermaid projects. It will therefore consist of two zones, the Seastar zone and the Mermaid zone, and 58 Siemens turbines with a capacity of 487 MW. The Seamade wind turbines will start producing green energy in 2020.[23]

Energy island

In order to use the generation capacity more efficiently plans are being made to construct an artificial island 3 km from Wenduine. On the island a lake would function as the reservoir of a pumped storage power station, estimated to produce 300 MW for 3 hours a day.[24] The project is currently only in the concept phase. As of july 2018, no progress has been made.

Historical data Flemish region
Year Capacity (MW)

(end of year)

 Number of turbines

(end of year)

 Production (GWh)

(calculated according to
Directive 2009/28/EC)

2006128.9112240
2007149.2122287
2008173.3111336
2009231.8145391
2010264.9150402
2011341.1191541
2012420228

sources:[25][26][27]

At the end of 2011 there were 191 operational onshore wind turbines with a combined capacity of 341.7MW. Due to the a lack of vast open spaces the wind turbines are installed in more than 60 small groups throughout the region. Often along highways or canals and in industrial or agricultural areas.[28]

The operators of these wind farms are diverse. Some are operated by companies that specialize in wind power like Aspiravi or Electrawinds. Others by traditional electricity producers Electrabel and Luminus. Several are operated by cooperatives like Ecopower or Aspiravi Samen. Finally a few are operated by organisations with a different core business like retail network Colruyt or pharmaceutical company Pfizer as part of a Corporate social responsibility strategy. Colruyt's turbines produce an estimated 13.75 GWh annually.[29]

Installed capacity per province (as of 2012):

Historical data Walloon Region
Wind farm in Estinnes.
Date Capacity (MW) Number of turbines Estimated annual

production (GWh)

200550.071
2007129.9280
2009206.0117458
20/1/2011442.3204984
27/6/2012543.92471,197

sources:[30][31][32][33][34]

This region is home to the largest turbines in Belgium. The Windvision wind farm near Estinnes houses 11 Enercon E-126 turbines each with a total height of 198.5 metres and a generation power of 6 MW. The park is part of the EU demonstration project 7MW-WEC-by-11 nine turbines will be upgraded to 7.5 MW.[35][36]

Greenwind built a 25 MW park of 10 turbines of 2.5 MW in Froidchappelle.

See also

References
  1. https://windeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/files/about-wind/statistics/WindEurope-Annual-Statistics-2019.pdf
  2. http://www.apere.org/fr/observatoire-eolien
  3. https://www.elia.be/en/news/press-releases/2020/01/20200108_press-release_mix-electrique-2019
  4. http://www.belgianoffshoreplatform.be/en/news/2-2-million-families-supplied-with-clean-electricity-from-the-belgian-part-of-the-north-sea-in-2020/
  5. "Windturbines" (PDF). Brussels Instituut voor Milieubeheer.
  6. "p91 IEA Wind Annual Report for 2015, "Energy Observatorium, Federal Public Service of Economy"".
  7. http://www.apere.org/fr/observatoire-eolien
  8. http://www.belgianoffshoreplatform.be/en/
  9. http://www.c-power.be/index.php/project-phase-1/overview
  10. http://www.c-power.be/index.php/general-info/windfarm-layout
  12. http://www.c-power.be/index.php/general-info/project-details
  13. http://www.parkwind.eu/en/projects/about?scroll=Belwind
  14. http://www.parkwind.eu/en/projects/about?scroll=Northwind
  15. http://www.nobelwind.eu/#description
  16. http://www.parkwind.eu/en/projects/about?scroll=Nobelwind
  17. http://www.rentel.be/en/about-rentel
  18. https://rentel.be/en/news/detail/ostend-be-offshore-installation-rentel-wind-turbines-completed
  19. Foxwell, David (2019-09-11). "Royal visit sees Belgian power hub inaugurated". Riviera Maritime Media.
  20. http://www.norther.be/
  21. https://press.parkwind.eu/financial-close-signals-start-of-construction-of-219-mw-northwester-2-offshore-wind-power-plant
  22. https://press.parkwind.eu/northwester-2-to-deliver-224-mw-offshore-energy-by-2020
  23. https://otary.be/en/news/detail/monday-3-december-2018-ostend-be-seamade-reaches-financial-close-for-its-487-mw-offshore-wind-farm-in-the-belgian-north-sea
  24. "Binnen vijf jaar eiland voor onze kust". De Standaard (in Dutch). 17 January 2013.
  25. "Lijst van operationele windturbines in Vlaanderen".
  26. K. Jespers; K. Aernouts; S. Vangeel (November 2011). "Inventaris duurzame energie in Vlaanderen 2010 DEEL I: hernieuwbare energie" (PDF). VITO. p. 5. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  27. "marktrapport '11 VREG_" (PDF). vreg. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  28. "Summary on shore windpower 2011" (PDF). organisatie duurzame energie. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  29. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2012-11-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  30. Environ 500 éoliennes en Belgique, Lalibre.be, 11 janvier 2012
  31. "Energie 4 n°11". September 2009.
  32. Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  33. "Situation de l'éolien en Région wallonne au 27/06/12" (PDF). APERe.
  34. "Situation de l'éolien en Région Wallonne au 20/01/2011" (PDF). APERe. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  35. "Enercon E-126" (PDF). Elia. 15 May 2009. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  36. "Pilot Demonstration of Eleven 7MW-Class WEC at Estinnes in Belgium". WIP Munich. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
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