Belwind Alstom Haliade Demonstration

Belwind Phase 1 is an early Belgian offshore wind project on the Bligh Bank in the southern North Sea, located roughly 46–49 km off Zeebrugge and delivering c.165 MW from 55 Vestas V90 turbines (a single 6 MW demonstration turbine was added later). The project was Parkwind’s first large-scale offshore park and one of Belgium’s pioneering commercial wind farms, built to demonstrate the feasibility of fixed-bottom technology on the Bligh Bank and to help catalyse subsequent cluster development in the area. Construction began in 2009 and the main array was commissioned in 2010 after a programme of monopile installations, in-field cabling and turbine erection carried out by established offshore contractors. Finance and delivery had notable early challenges: the project was rescued during the developer bankruptcy episode by Belgian investors and public-support instruments, and Phase 1 benefitted from a large EIB loan as part of a €650m project financing package. Operationally the farm has performed as a test-bed for R&D (notably the 6 MW prototype installed in 2013) and has been integrated to shore via an export cable to Zeebrugge/onsite booster facilities. Ownership and corporate structure have evolved over time through portfolio transactions involving Parkwind and partners. Important: Belwind Phase 1 is a distinct project from Nobelwind (a neighbouring Bligh Bank concession commissioned in 2017 with different SPV, turbine models and grid arrangements).