Eneco, Ocean Winds (the joint venture between EDP Renewables and ENGIE) and Otary have formed a strategic partnership (subject to approvals) to jointly participate in the tender for the Princess Elisabeth offshore wind concessions in Belgium.
The consortium, which is already an existing partnership in Belgium through the SeaMade offshore wind farm, operational since the end of 2020, was set up to participate in the upcoming tenders for the Princess Elisabeth Zone (PEZ), which will be divided into three lots: one for the development of a 700 MW offshore wind farm and two lots for the development of offshore wind farms of 1,225 to 1,400 MW each. The consortium intends to participate in each of the upcoming PEZ tenders, the first of which is expected to take place in 2025.
Preparatory works are already underway, including site evaluations by the government and the construction of Princess Elisabeth Island for the offshore grid connection by Elia. However, there is still work to be done to ensure timely completion of the project, including the Ventilus and Boucle du Hainaut projects which are critical for the reinforcement of the mainland grid.
The tender process is expected to be highly competitive, with several global players competing for the concessions.
