Renewables Now
Belgium intends to double its wind development zone in the North Sea as part of a plan to boost its offshore wind capacity to 4 GW in the next decade.
Philippe De Backer, secretary of state for combating social fraud, privacy and the North Sea, said on Friday, as cited by national broadcaster VRT, that a new 221-sq-km (85-sq-mile) area will be made available after 2020, adding to the country’s existing 225-sq-km zone off the coast of Zeebrugge. The new zone will be between 35 km and 40 km into the sea and will not be disturbing the view from the coastline.
The expansion will allow the country to install wind turbines with enough capacity to replace some nuclear power capacity, supporting Belgium's strategy for growing renewables and phasing out nuclear power by 2025.
