Wind power is an important and rapidly growing part of the energy system in Belgium. The country produces wind electricity from both onshore turbines (on land) and offshore wind farms in the North Sea.
1. Current wind power capacity
Belgium has roughly 5.5 GW of total wind capacity (onshore + offshore).
- Offshore wind: ~2.26 GW
- Onshore wind: ~3.2 GW (approximate from total capacity)
Offshore projects are especially significant because Belgium has a short coastline but strong North Sea winds.
2. Offshore wind (North Sea)
Most Belgian wind electricity comes from offshore wind farms.
Key facts:
- 9 offshore wind farms operating in the Belgian North Sea
- 2.26 GW installed capacity
- ~6.6–8 TWh electricity per year depending on wind conditions
- Supplies roughly 8–10% of Belgium’s electricity demand
Example wind farms include:
- Belwind
- Nobelwind
- Northwind
- Norther
- SeaMade
These turbines are located about 30–50 km offshore in the North Sea.
3. Onshore wind
Wind turbines on land are spread mainly across:
- Flanders
- Wallonia
Examples:
- Around 689 turbines in Flanders producing about 1.8 GW.
- Wallonia has about 1.4 GW capacity.
Challenges for onshore wind:
- Limited land area
- Local opposition to turbines
- Complex permitting procedures.
4. Share in the energy mix
Wind power is a significant part of Belgium’s electricity generation.
- Total wind capacity contributes over 15% of electricity consumption.
- Together with solar, wind helped push renewables above 30% of electricity production in recent years (community estimates and energy data trends).
5. Future expansion
Belgium plans major offshore expansion in the Princess Elisabeth Zone in the North Sea.
Plans include:
- Up to 3.5 GW of additional offshore wind capacity.
- Total offshore capacity could reach about 5.8 GW in the future.
This would more than double current offshore generation and significantly reduce fossil-fuel power.
Conclusion:
| Category | Approximate value |
|---|---|
| Total wind capacity | ~5.5 GW |
| Offshore capacity | ~2.26 GW |
| Offshore share of electricity | ~8–10% |
| Total wind share | ~15%+ |
| Planned offshore capacity | up to ~5.8 GW |