The European Commission has approved a EUR 2.04 billion state-aid scheme to support the construction and operation of the first offshore wind farm in Belgium's Princess Elisabeth Zone in the North Sea, paving the way for relaunching the tender.
The tender will take place shortly, according to Belgian Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet, who said the Commission's decision was the final element needed for the relaunch, following the cancellation of the original procedure in July 2025.
The scheme will run for 20 years and support a wind farm with a planned capacity of up to 735 MW, expected to generate up to 2.6 TWh of renewable electricity annually. The result of the competitive tender is expected in the fourth quarter of 2027.
The new scheme replaces a EUR 682 million support measure approved by the Commission in September 2024 under the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework. The aid under that earlier scheme was not granted before the legal deadline of 31 December 2025.
Under the newly approved mechanism, support will be provided through a monthly variable premium under a two-way contract for difference (CfD).
The tender will also include prequalification criteria under the EU's Net-Zero Industry Act, requiring bidders to diversify supply chains for wind turbines and their main components to reduce reliance on imports from outside Europe.
The Commission assessed the measure under its Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF), adopted on 25 June 2025, and concluded that the scheme meets the framework's conditions and is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to support the transition towards a net-zero economy.
After the original tender for the first Princess Elisabeth Zone site, known as PEZ 1, was cancelled in 2025 amid legal, financial and technical uncertainties, including concerns over the support mechanism, Belgium revised the tender framework, introducing a two-way CfD and extending the maximum construction period from four to five years.
The Princess Elisabeth Zone, whose main development is the Princess Elisabeth Island, the world’s first artificial energy island, is planned to accommodate three offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of up to approximately 3.5 GW.