Nobelwind

Northwind is a 216 MW offshore wind farm located on the Lodewijkbank in the Belgian North Sea, roughly 37 km off the coast of Zeebrugge. Commissioned in 2014, the project was an early Parkwind development and is notable for its role in pioneering longer high-voltage export cables and shared export infrastructure with neighbouring farms. Northwind’s exported power is collected at an Offshore High Voltage Station (OHVS) where it is stepped up for transmission to shore; the OHVS and associated 220–245 kV export link were designed to allow interconnection and a shared route with adjacent projects (notably Nobelwind/Belwind), an approach that delivered economies of scale during construction and operations. The project followed a conventional consenting and procurement pathway for Belgian offshore wind, receiving environmental permitting in the late 2000s and reaching financial close prior to construction starting in 2013. Implementation benefited from well‑established contractor packages for foundations, interarray cabling and a long subsea export route; specialist suppliers (including Nexans and installation contractors) delivered the export cable system. Financing included European development finance support during construction. Commercially, ownership has evolved: originally developed as Eldepasco/Northwind NV, Parkwind subsequently operated the asset, and in March 2024 Parkwind’s 30% stake was sold with Aspiravi Offshore and Sumitomo Corporation as the continuing majority owners. Operational performance and the shared-export architecture have made Northwind a reference case in Belgian offshore grid planning and cluster-connected design.