EU approves Belgium’s €3.5bn support for offshore wind farms

The projects will support the country’s target of sourcing 13% of its energy needs by 2020

The Belgium Government’s plans to provide €3.5 million (£3m) of public funding to support three offshore wind farms have been approved by the EU.

The Commission said the projects will support EU energy and climate goals without distorting competition.

The funding is for the Mermaid (235MW), Seastar (252MW) and Northwester2 (219MW) wind farms, which are located in the Belgian waters of the North Sea.

The Commission concluded the projects will increase the share of electricity produced from renewable sources in Belgium and reduce pollution while helping the nation meet its target of producing 13% of its power needs from green sources by 2020.

It added: “The Commission found that the aid to the three projects is necessary and has an incentive effect, given that, without public support, the projects would not be financially viable. Based on the information provided by Belgium, the support level is in line with the guidelines and does not result in overcompensation.”

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