EU Commission approves state aid for wind power in Belgium

The European Commission said on Friday that it has approved a €682 million ($755 million) Belgian scheme to support renewable offshore wind energy to help the transition towards a net-zero economy.

According to the Brussels-based Commission, it has authorised state aid for the construction and operation of an offshore wind farm off Belgium's North Sea coast.

"This measure will help to reduce Belgium's dependence on fossil fuels from Russia," said outgoing Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. "At the same time, the regulation will ensure that any distortions of competition are minimised."

The authorisation was granted on the basis of the so-called Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TVTF). This is a temporary EU funding instrument to support the production of climate-neutral, strategically important technologies in Europe at an early stage.

The planned wind farm is expected to have a capacity of 700 megawatts and generate at least 2.6 terawatt hours of renewable electricity per year.