Belgium offshore wind is moving forward again, but the next phase is not an immediate turbine build-out. The country is rebuilding the legal, financial and grid framework for its first new North Sea wind farm tender after cancelling the previous process in July 2025.
As of 11 September 2026, the immediate focus is the relaunch of the Princess Elisabeth I (PE I) tender: a planned 700 MW offshore wind project in the Princess Elisabeth Zone. Belgium has approved a revised framework, opened a public consultation on tender documents until 15 September 2026, and set a latest operational date of 1 October 2031 for the first phase of its offshore energy island.
For Indian readers following global clean-energy technology, the key lesson is clear: offshore wind success depends as much on transmission, contracts and supply chains as it does on turbines.
The short answer: Belgium is preparing a new offshore wind tender
The next practical milestone for offshore wind Belgium is the finalisation and relaunch of the PE I tender. It is not yet a completed auction or an operational new wind farm.
Before the tender can restart, Belgium must complete several steps:
- Incorporate feedback from the September 2026 consultation.
- Complete the revised Royal Decree governing the tender.
- Obtain the required opinion from the Council of State.
- Notify and secure approval for the state-aid framework from the European Commission.
- Publish the final tender and select a developer.
The government has deliberately changed the process after deciding that the earlier version carried too much legal and financial uncertainty. This matters because a poorly structured auction can produce weak competition, unaffordable bids, or a project that cannot be financed once construction costs rise.
What is the Princess Elisabeth Zone?
The Princess Elisabeth Zone (PEZ) is Belgium’s second offshore wind development area in the North Sea. It is intended to add between 3.15 GW and 3.5 GW of offshore wind capacity across three parcels.
| Parcel | Planned capacity | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Princess Elisabeth I (PE I) | 700 MW | 46.0 sq km |
| Princess Elisabeth II (PE II) | 1,225–1,400 MW | 103.0 sq km |
| Princess Elisabeth III (PE III) | 1,225–1,400 MW | 106.8 sq km |
PE I is the first project in the queue. The timings for PE II and PE III have not been announced, and their final size or layout could still change after maritime-safety, environmental and grid assessments.
That sequencing is important. Belgium is trying to avoid awarding more offshore capacity than its onshore network and offshore transmission infrastructure can reliably absorb.
Why was the original Belgium offshore wind tender cancelled?
Belgium cancelled the earlier PE I tender on 2 July 2025. The decision was linked to unresolved risks around the support mechanism, European state-aid procedure, the schedule for the offshore energy island, and necessary upgrades to the onshore grid.
These are not minor administrative details. Offshore wind projects have large upfront costs, long construction periods and exposure to volatile component, vessel and financing costs. Developers need confidence that:
- Their revenue support will be legally valid.
- The grid will be ready when power generation begins.
- The connection terms are clear.
- Project delays will not create unmanageable financial penalties.
- The tender is competitive enough to attract credible bidders.
The revised approach is intended to reduce these risks before the project is awarded.
A new two-sided CfD is at the centre of the plan
The reworked tender will use a two-sided Contract for Difference, or CfD. This is the most significant commercial change for the project.
Under this structure, bidders propose a strike price for electricity. If the market power price falls below that agreed reference price, the support mechanism pays the producer the difference. If the market price rises above it, the producer pays the excess back.
In simple terms, the CfD limits downside risk for the developer while also preventing windfall gains when wholesale electricity prices are unusually high.
Belgium has also removed a pre-set cap on the strike price. Rather than setting an upper limit that could discourage participation, it plans to rank bidders primarily by the lowest proposed strike price. This could improve competition, though the final price will depend on market conditions when the tender opens.
Fixed-price power-purchase agreements, or PPAs, will still be possible. However, the tender will no longer use a separate support route with a special carve-out for them.
What changes for developers?
The revised offshore wind Belgium framework is designed to make PE I more financeable and easier to bid for.
A longer construction window
The maximum construction period has increased from four years to five years. That reflects real-world pressure on the offshore wind supply chain, including turbine availability, installation vessels, cables and weather-related restrictions on sea work.
A five-year period does not mean the project will definitely take five years to build. It gives the selected developer more realistic room to plan procurement and construction without pricing excessive delay risk into the bid.
Less mandatory complexity
Citizen participation remains possible but is no longer compulsory. Belgium has judged that mandatory ownership or participation structures can add legal, administrative and financing costs, which may ultimately raise the requested support price.
The state also plans to require some insurance offers and financial guarantees only from the winning bidder rather than from every applicant. This reduces the expense of simply entering the competition.
Tougher resilience and supply-chain conditions
The tender is also being aligned with the European Union’s Net-Zero Industry Act requirements. The proposed criteria cover cybersecurity, responsible business conduct, environmental sustainability and supply-chain resilience.
For at least 75% of the project’s turbines, manufacture or assembly in China will not be permitted. Those turbines will also face limits on Chinese-origin critical components and permanent magnets. The objective is to reduce dependence on a single supply base for strategic energy infrastructure.
For Indian manufacturers and renewable-energy businesses, this is worth watching. It highlights how major offshore markets are increasingly assessing not only cost and technical performance but also traceability, resilience and geographic concentration in their supply chains.
The energy island is the real infrastructure test
PE I will depend on the Princess Elisabeth Island, an artificial offshore energy hub around 45 km from the Belgian coast. Rather than each future wind farm relying only on separate direct links to shore, the island is designed to collect power and transfer it through the transmission system.
The project’s second phase includes a 220 kV substation, 66 kV facilities, transformers and six three-phase 220 kV alternating-current cables connecting the island to an onshore substation.
Belgium has set 1 October 2031 as the latest commissioning date for the first phase of the Modular Offshore Grid II, or MOG II. This date is a key reference point because wind capacity without transmission capacity cannot deliver useful electricity to consumers.
The European Investment Bank signed €1 billion in financing for the island’s second phase in July 2026. That does not remove all execution risk, but it is a meaningful sign that the grid project has advanced beyond a purely conceptual stage.
Why the onshore grid still matters
The North Sea wind farm, energy island and inland network must progress together. One bottleneck in this chain can delay the entire project.
For PE I, Belgium’s regulator has approved a flexible grid connection. The latest reassessment indicates that 255 MW would be firm in the first phase before the Boucle du Hainaut transmission reinforcement is ready.
This does not change PE I’s planned 700 MW project capacity. It does show why grid timing is crucial: the volume of reliably injectable power can be constrained until wider network upgrades are completed.
The Ventilus project is another essential element. It is planned to connect the Zeebrugge landing point with Avelgem through an approximately 82 km high-voltage route. Its permitting process will therefore remain a major issue for investors, communities and energy users.
What happens after PE I?
Belgium intends to prepare PE II in parallel so there is less downtime after PE I is awarded. However, no tender date has been announced for PE II or PE III.
The next parcels face additional work on:
- Maritime safety and shipping.
- Environmental permits and impact assessments.
- Natura 2000 assessments for protected marine areas.
- Potential adjustments to parcel boundaries, areas and capacities.
- The availability of Boucle du Hainaut and other grid reinforcements.
Belgium is also looking beyond the new zone. Its longer-term offshore strategy includes repowering older projects in the existing eastern offshore zone and exploring cooperation with other North Sea countries.
What Indian energy and technology readers should take from this
Belgium’s offshore wind story is relevant beyond Europe. India is expanding renewable generation, improving transmission networks and developing its own offshore wind ambitions. The Belgian experience reinforces several practical points.
First, grid planning must begin before generation assets are commissioned. A wind farm’s nameplate capacity has limited value if transmission is delayed.
Second, revenue design matters. Two-sided CfDs can lower financing risk, but the exact terms determine whether developers bid aggressively or stay away.
Third, supply-chain resilience is becoming a core procurement criterion. Price is no longer the only deciding factor for strategic clean-energy projects.
Finally, large renewable projects need environmental, maritime and community issues addressed early. Offshore wind does not eliminate planning complexity; it moves much of it into marine ecology, navigation, cables and grid corridors.
Outlook: progress, but not a finished deal
Belgium offshore wind is back on a more credible path, but the PE I tender should still be viewed as a live policy and infrastructure process rather than a guaranteed near-term project.
The strongest near-term signals to monitor are the outcome of the public consultation, European Commission state-aid clearance, publication of the final PE I tender, and progress on the energy island and Belgian grid reinforcements.
If those elements stay aligned, PE I can become the first step in adding up to 3.5 GW of new offshore wind capacity in the Princess Elisabeth Zone. If any of them slips materially, the timetable for the wider expansion will move with it.
FAQs
Has Belgium relaunched the PE I offshore wind tender?
Not yet. Belgium has approved a revised framework and is consulting on provisional tender documents until 15 September 2026. Final legal and European state-aid steps are still required before the tender is formally relaunched.
How large is the first Princess Elisabeth offshore wind project?
Princess Elisabeth I is planned as a 700 MW offshore wind project covering 46.0 sq km in the Belgian North Sea.
What is a two-sided CfD in offshore wind?
A two-sided Contract for Difference sets a reference electricity price. The producer receives support when market prices are lower and repays excess revenue when market prices are higher.
When will Belgium’s offshore energy island be ready?
The Belgian government has set 1 October 2031 as the latest operational date for the first phase of the Modular Offshore Grid II energy-island project.
Are PE II and PE III tenders scheduled?
No official tender dates have been announced for Princess Elisabeth II or Princess Elisabeth III. Their development depends on further safety, environmental, permitting and grid work.
Why is Belgium limiting Chinese turbine content?
The proposed tender rules seek to strengthen supply-chain resilience and cybersecurity under European industrial policy. The aim is to reduce dependence on a single manufacturing source for critical energy infrastructure.
