Partnering with WREN, questionnaires are sent to offshore wind energy developers around the world who are involved in environmental monitoring. This page provides contextual project information and highlights environmental monitoring, providing links to available data and reports. Content is updated annually.

Belwind

Description

Belwind is Parkwind’s first wind energy project and one of Belgium’s first offshore wind farms as the second project of the Belgian North Sea. The Belwind wind farm comprises 55 Vestas turbines with a 165 MW capacity. An additional Haliade wind turbine—the largest turbine available at the time—was added as a part of a demonstration project, raising the installed capacity to 171 MW. The Belwind turbines are operational and have been producing energy since 2010 (Vestas turbines) and 2013 (Haliade turbine).

Watch a video on the Belwind wind farm here.

Location

Located on the Bligh Bank, 46 km off the coast of Zeebrugge, the Belwind project is outside shipping routes and territorial waters, in an area delimited for wind farms. At this distance from shore the wind farm benefits from higher wind speeds and the visual impact is limited. Cable landfall is located at Zeebrugge.

Project Timeline

  •  
  • 24 May 2017: Wind farm fully commissioned (Nobelwind)
  • 9 January 2017: Production begins from the second phase (Nobelwind)
  • 27 October 2016: First turbine for the second phase installed (Nobelwind)
  • 12 May 2016: First foundation for the second phase installed (Nobelwind)
  • 11 January 2011: Fully operational (first phase)
  • 9 December 2010: First phase completed
  • August 2009: Construction of the first phase begins
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Licensing Information

The project received regulatory approval through a multi-year process involving key Belgian federal authorities. The State Secretary for Energy granted the initial domain concession in June 2007, followed by a concession modification in February 2009. Environmental permitting was secured from the Minister responsible for the marine environment in February 2008. The project achieved full operational status in its first phase by January 2011, completing the regulatory and development timeline.

Key Environmental Issues

The Belwind offshore wind farm development in the Belgian North Sea presents complex environmental challenges requiring comprehensive monitoring. Key environmental issues include potential of habitat disruption, of underwater noise impacts, and of ecological changes affecting benthos, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. The project employed a multi-year (2008-2012) monitoring program conducted by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, that focused on tracking erosion around foundations, water turbidity, substrate colonization, and species distribution changes. Mitigation strategies involved strategic site selection, minimizing project footprint, and implementing temporal restrictions during ecologically sensitive periods to reduce environmental disturbance.

Metadata Documents

Environmental Papers and Reports

Environmental Monitoring: Belwind

Phase Stressor & Receptor Design and Methods Results Publications Data
Baseline, Operations Habitat Change

Birds 		Species Distribution and Habitat Use Assessment
This study employed an advanced multi-method monitoring approach that included standardized ship-based seabird counts, monthly monitoring routes, and 2x2 km grid cell analysis with visual species identification, seasonal comparisons, GPS tracking, and radar observations. The techniques incorporated distance sampling, behavioral analysis, and advanced statistical modeling to assess seabird interactions with the offshore environment. 		Complete
Six species with high or increased densities were identified: Northern gannet, Great skua, Little gull, Lesser black-backed gull, Black-legged kittiwake, and Common guillemot. The highest seabird densities were observed during winter at 8 birds/km², with the offshore bird community characterized as species-poor. Diurnal and seasonal variations in bird presence were identified, with peak abundances occurring during late winter and early spring. The most suitable species for impact evaluation included Northern gannet, Sandwich tern, and Black-legged kittiwake, with significant variations observed in flight heights where 37% of flights occurred at rotor height. 		Degraer et al. 2018, Degraer and Brabant 2009, Brabant and Jacques 2010, Brabant et al. 2012 No data publicly available.
Baseline, Construction, Operations EMF, Habitat Change, Noise

Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals 		Monitoring Recommendations and Knowledge Gap Assessment
Comprehensive review of existing environmental monitoring studies at the Belgian North Sea Bligh Bank offshore wind site, focusing on identifying critical research needs and knowledge gaps in offshore wind environmental impact assessment. 		Complete
Systematic evaluation revealed significant knowledge gaps in key ecological impact areas, including:
- Species-specific noise sensitivity
- Potential electromagnetic field interactions
- Bird collision risk assessment
- Marine mammal disturbance mechanisms

Recommendations were developed to guide future targeted monitoring programs and research strategies for understanding offshore wind environmental interactions. 		De Sutter and Volckaet 2007 No data publicly available.
Baseline, Construction Habitat Change, Noise

Marine Mammals 		Ecological Impact and Distribution Monitoring
This study employed a multi-method approach that included passive acoustic monitoring using POD detectors, aerial and boat-based surveys, population modeling, and interim Population Consequences of Disturbance (iPCOD) assessment to systematically evaluate marine mammal responses to offshore wind farm construction while incorporating seasonal variations and noise impact analysis. 		Complete
The harbor porpoise population was estimated at 4,000 individuals, representing 1.6% of the North Sea population, with seasonal density variations ranging from 0.31-0.68 individuals/km². Background underwater noise levels were measured at 95-100 dB across frequencies of 10 Hz-2kHz, while piling activities revealed a potential disturbance radius of 22 km that could affect 2,000-3,800 porpoises. Preliminary analysis suggested a potential 5% population decline risk, though noise mitigation techniques demonstrated the ability to reduce the effect sphere by up to 90%. 		Degraer et al. 2018, Degraer and Brabant 2009, Brabant and Jacques 2010, Brabant et al. 2012 No data publicly available.
Construction, Operations Habitat Change

Fish 		Marine Community Assessment
Comprehensive survey of fish species and habitat characteristics were conducted near offshore wind farm foundations using multiple sampling techniques. 		Ongoing
Twenty-five fish species were observed near turbine foundations, with 15 species also found around marine wrecks. Rare species detected included Tadpole fish, Tompot blenny, Longspined bullhead, and Ballan wrasse. Sediment analysis within 40m of jacket foundations revealed finer sediment grain size, increased organic matter content, and higher macrofaunal densities. Spatial variations in epibenthos and fish assemblages suggested potential initial signs of a "reef effect". 		Degraer et al. 2018, Degraer and Brabant 2009 No data publicly available.
Operations Collision, Habitat Change

Birds 		Radar-Based Bird Movement and Collision Risk Monitoring
This study utilized an Automated Radar System (ARS) research approach employing a dual radar configuration with Horizontal Surveillance Radar (HSR) and Vertical Scanning Radar (VSR). Bird flux and altitude measurements, collision risk modeling, and potential installation location assessments were conducted. 		Complete
High collision risk species were identified, including large gulls, Northern gannets, and Lesser black-backed gulls. Preliminary collision risk models were developed with recommendations for onshore testing of radar systems, and migration patterns were analyzed to understand potential collision risks. 		Degraer and Brabant 2009 No data publicly available.
Construction, Operations Habitat Change

Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment 		Ecological Community Assessment and Colonization Monitoring
A multi-year monitoring program was conducted across Belgian North Sea wind farm sites (Bligh Bank, Thorntonbank, Goote Bank) employing comprehensive spatial and temporal variability analysis. Sampling techniques included soft sediment and hard substrate sampling using beam trawl and visual survey methods. 		Complete
Soft substrate findings revealed macrobenthic densities ranging from 10-1930 individuals/m², with species richness of 1-24 species per 0.1 m². Hard substrate analysis identified 75 taxa, with 42 species new to the site. Blue mussels and anemones demonstrated increasing densities, suggesting early signs of a "reef effect." Three distinct ecological zones and three non-indigenous species were detected, with high natural spatio-temporal variability observed throughout the study period. 		Brabant and Jacques 2010, Brabant et al. 2012 No data publicly available.
Construction Noise

Marine Mammals 		Offshore Wind Construction Impact Assessment
Comprehensive evaluation of construction scenarios assessed pile driving noise impacts and mitigation strategies through detailed acoustic and ecological analyses. 		Complete
Piling noise levels reached up to 270 dB with a 22 km disturbance radius potentially affecting 2,000-3,800 porpoises. Noise reduction techniques demonstrated up to 90% effectiveness in mitigating impact sphere. 		Degraer et al. 2018, Brabant and Jacques 2010, Brabant et al. 2012 No data publicly available.
Construction Habitat Change

Invertebrates 		Ecological Succession and Community Assessment
Scrape sampling, ROV video observation, and species richness and density assessments were conducted to evaluate ecological colonization of wind farm structures in the Belgian North Sea. Spatial comparisons examined areas inside and outside wind farm zones, near turbine foundations, and across offshore gradients. 		Complete
Rapid colonization of concrete foundations was observed, with 49 species identified within 3.5 months. Dense Bryozoan (Electra pilosa) cover emerged, and three distinct vertical ecological zones were documented. Presence of exotic species was noted, indicating dynamic ecological succession. 		Degraer et al. 2018, Degraer and Brabant 2009 No data publicly available.