Utrecht 20 February 2008 – Today, leading sustainable energy company Evelop Belgium, part of Econcern, received the building and operating permits for offshore wind farm Belwind from the Government of Belgium. With a capacity of 330 megawatt, the clean power plant will deliver energy to 330,000 households. The wind farm, which is located 46 kilometres off the coast of Zeebrugge, is world’s farthest offshore wind farm.

Today Belgian Minister Jo Vandeurzen, who is temporarily replacing Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of the North Sea Yves Leterme, granted the final permits to Belwind. Frank Coenen, Director of Evelop Belgium commented: “With the received permit we are one step closer to being operational. Without the active support of the Belgian Government and administration it would not have been possible to achieve this milestone. Belwind fits perfectly into our strategy for continuous growth as we are developing thirteen offshore wind farms in Europe at the moment.” The decision of the minister definitively sets Belgium on track to achieve the ambitious European sustainable energy targets. The European commission has stated in its recent climate action plan that Belgium has to achieve a share of thirteen percent renewable energy by 2020. “With three wind farms, including Belwind, Belgium wants to increase the current renewable energy share of 2.2 percent to 7 percent by 2013. With this project Belgium can now contribute to the sustainable energy ambitions and collaborate on the target of a carbon neutral society”, said minister Jo Vandeurzen.Belwind received the exclusive grid connection offer and expects additional permits in April. The final investment decision will be planned mid 2008 when the building will start. The wind farm will start delivering electricity by the beginning of 2010.Evelop has a development portfolio of more than 6,000 megawatt and is part of Econcern, a company with the mission ‘a sustainable energy supply for everyone’. Econcern is the world leader in offshore wind energy. In December 2007 one of Evelop’s biggest projects, the offshore wind farm Q7 (120 megawatt), started delivering power for the first time. Off the eastern English coast - in the British 12-mile zone - Evelop develops another wind farm of 315 megawatt. Full approvals and financial agreement is planned for 2008/2009. In Germany, Evelop is developing an offshore wind farm ‘Gode Wind I’, in cooperation with Plambeck Neue Energien.

Facts & figures about the wind farm
Belwind is an initiative of Evelop. Belwind’s application for a concession to build a wind farm on Bligh Bank was granted in June 2007. The wind farm is situated in the zone dedicated by the Belgian Government for the construction of wind farms.The wind farm will have a total capacity of 330 megawatt and an annual electricity production of 1.2 terawatt hour, enough to supply sustainable electricity for 330,000 Belgian households. The project involves an investment of more than EUR 850 million. The park will be built 46 kilometres off the coast of Zeebrugge at a sea depth of 20 to 35 metres and the turbines will be installed in an area of 35 KM² in size. 

Evelop, part of Econcern, a company with the mission ‘a sustainable energy supply for everyone’, is the sustainable energy project developer with one of the largest portfolios of renewable energy assets worldwide. Evelop is involved in developing and realising projects in fields such as: offshore and onshore wind, biomass and solar energy as well as seawater air conditioning, utility buildings and housing with integrated sustainable energy supply solutions. Evelop is also eligible to operate and maintain projects.