Belgium

 

Belgium’s renewable energy policy continues to align with EU climate and energy targets for 2030. Offshore and land-based wind remain central pillars of the Belgian and European decarbonisation trajectory. Belgium maintains its contribution of an 18.3% share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption by 2030, in line with EU requirements, although the European Commission’s 2026 assessment of the updated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP 2025) stresses that additional renewable deployment efforts are needed, particularly to strengthen the national trajectory beyond offshore wind. A system of Tradable Green Certificates (TGCs) remains in place to support onshore renewable generation, with the level of support determined through periodically updated business-case exercises involving developers, suppliers, investors and financial institutions.

 
Alongside this, the 2025 federal government agreements introduced several new structural measures influencing renewable and ocean energy policy. These include the establishment of a High Council for Energy Supply to provide independent calculations to the government, and a strengthened “inter-federal energy pact” designed to improve long-term coordination between federal and regional authorities in the energy transition. These reforms place a stronger emphasis on energy security, competitiveness, and the development of reliable renewable capacity.
 
To maximise national renewable electricity output, Belgium is significantly expanding offshore wind capacity in the Princess Elisabeth Zone. Federal plans foresee between 3.15 and 3.5 GW in this zone, increasing Belgium’s total offshore wind fleet to around 5.8 GW by 2030, nearly tripling today’s installed capacity. An important innovation supporting this expansion is Elia’s Princess Elisabeth Energy Island, the world’s first offshore energy hub, which will collect wind power from the zone and host hybrid interconnectors with the UK and Denmark. This project strengthens Belgium’s role as a North Sea energy hub and supports long-term grid integration for renewables.
 
At the level of maritime planning, Belgium approved its Marine Spatial Plan 2026–2034 in early 2026. The plan outlines long-term priorities for the Belgian North Sea, including space for innovation, renewable energy development, multi-use areas and environmental protection, ensuring a framework that facilitates future offshore and marine energy activities.
 
Marine renewable energy remains an emerging but strategically relevant industry for Flanders. The Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) supports the Blue Cluster, the Flemish spearhead cluster for the sustainable blue economy, which —together with industry and academic partners — regularly updates its offshore renewable energy R&D roadmap. The West Flanders Development Agency (POM West-Flanders) supports blue energy innovation through initiatives such as the Fabriek voor de Toekomst Blue Energy, providing companies with access to innovation support, workforce initiatives, infrastructure and test facilities, including the Blue Accelerator platform, wave flumes of Ghent University and the Coastal & Ocean wave Basin. POM also convenes a recurring core group for blue energy, bringing together key players from academia, industry and government.

Although Belgium does not yet have dedicated market incentives for ocean energy (tidal, wave), marine renewable energy is recognised in national and Flemish strategies as an emerging sector with high growth potential. Current support mechanisms focus on enabling infrastructure, innovation funding and test facilities rather than revenue support, including the Blue Accelerator platform, wave flumes of Ghent University and the Coastal & Ocean wave Basin. Furthermore, the Marine Spatial Plan 2026–2034, approved in January 2026, allocates space in the Belgian North Sea for innovation and pilot activities. This updated planning framework offers a structured pathway for pilot-scale marine energy deployments and multi-use concepts in co-location with offshore wind.

The Blue Cluster is a spearhead cluster organisation bringing together more than 200 private companies, research bodies and public partners active in the sustainable blue economy. Its mission is to strengthen the competitiveness and international position of the Flemish blue economy by fostering innovation, collaboration and knowledge exchange. The Blue Cluster is officially recognised by the Flemish Government as a spearhead cluster for blue growth and works closely with Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Flanders Investment & Trade as part of the region’s strategic mission-oriented cluster policy.
 
The Blue Cluster focuses on innovation and internationalisation trajectories that stimulate blue growth, while also acting as a sector federation defending the interests of companies active in maritime, offshore and ocean-related industries. As a broad networking platform, the cluster connects numerous organisations that operate (fully or partially) in a marine environment. By integrating ambitious SMEs into the cluster ecosystem and its R&D and demonstration projects, the Blue Cluster accelerates their technological development and access to international markets.
 
Beyond its project portfolio, the Blue Cluster plays a leading role in shaping the long-term blue economy strategy for Flanders. It provides structured policy advice to the Flemish authorities and contributes to the development of Flemish and European ocean-related innovation agendas, including marine spatial planning, offshore renewable energy, marine security, circular bio-based resources and digitalisation. In the context of the upcoming reform of the Flemish cluster policy, the Blue Cluster is expected to take on an even stronger mission-driven role, with increased emphasis on internationalisation, SME involvement and addressing societal transitions. Below, the Renewable Energy Roadmap of the Blue Cluster is presented.
 

To support businesses in West Flanders in growing both regionally and internationally through innovation, the Province of West Flanders established several cluster platforms within the Provincial Development Agency (POM West-Flanders) to proactively prepare its key industries for the future. The Fabriek voor de Toekomst Blue Energy, focusing on offshore wind, wave, tidal and related marine technologies, is located along the Belgian coast and in the Ostend area. Through coordinated partnerships between local, provincial and Flemish actors, SMEs are supported in their sustainable, future-oriented development. Services range from practical business support to promotion, research, specialised training and access to infrastructure.

 

Every year, POM West-Flanders launches its short-term innovation programme known as “Quick Wins”, supporting collaborative SME-driven innovation projects with up to 50% co-funding. These projects typically aim to deliver pilot installations, test setups or prototypes, and form part of POM’s broader innovation strategy supporting sectors such as Blue Energy, offshore technology, materials, and digitalisation. This programme fits within POM’s mission of strengthening innovation capacity in West Flanders, as reflected in its active funding calls and development support for blue-economy companies throughout 2025–2026.

 
The Federal Energy Transition Fund remains one of Belgium’s key instruments for supporting energy-related R&D, including innovation in offshore renewable energy in the Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone. Each year, as required by the Royal Decree of 9 May 2017, the Directorate-General Energy opens a new call for proposals to fund research, innovation, infrastructure and SME-oriented projects in five strategic energy domains, including renewable energy in the North Sea. Funded projects must contribute directly to Belgium’s energy transition objectives and comply with the eligibility criteria linked to R&D, research infrastructure, SME innovation and innovation clusters.
 
The Blue Cluster, recognised as a Flemish spearhead cluster for the sustainable blue economy, continues to receive a dedicated annual budget through Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) to co-fund industry-driven R&D projects. These projects must involve at least three Flemish companies and respond to the offshore renewable energy roadmap updated by the cluster and its academic and industry partners. The framework supports marine renewable innovation, multi-use offshore concepts, and new technologies aligned with Flemish blue-economy priorities. The Blue Cluster is actively involved in national and EU-level strategy development, as evidenced by its participation in 2025 2026 marine policy and blue-economy initiatives.