The Belgian Cabinet has agreed to a defence ministry plan to facilitate the erection of new wind turbines, primarily in Wallonia and Westhoek, without hindering military training.
The Ministry of Defence has made significant adjustments to allow for more green energy production across Belgium, stated Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder. An example of these changes includes the modernisation of radar systems and a review of safety procedures.
The changes should make it easier to erect wind turbines without compromising military training and follows a request from the wind sector which seeks to build more and increasingly taller turbines, even on land.
In the past five years, the number of drop zones for parachute training in Belgium has reduced from over 40 to 19, Dedonder stated. Specific protection rules have been removed for three additional drop zones, meaning there are now only 16 protected zones. But Dedonder cautioned that it would "not be feasible nor desirable" to further reduce the number of drop zones as it would compromise training.
However, significant alterations have been made to allow taller wind turbines to be built near the remaining drop zones, primarily in Wallonia. Furthermore, following the relocation of search and rescue helicopters from the Coxyde air base to Ostend, major restrictions will largely be lifted.
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Proximity to certain key military installations such as the Coxyde air base had been a concern due to the importance of search and rescue helicopters. But these operations will move to Ostend airport by 2026.
In November the government approved a €6.7 million project to modernise Belgium's defence radar systems. This will enhance defence safety and allow for fewer restrictions on wind energy developments whilst maintaining the necessary exclusion zones for military training.
The Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Mobility, Georges Gillinet stated, "The government has accelerated renewable energy production. The roadmap presented by the Ministry of Defence this Friday shows that, together with our air traffic controller Skeyes, we can lift the technical constraints limiting the installation of wind turbines."
Energy Minister Tine Van der Straeten said the roadmap displays how "together we can remove barriers to reclaim our energy and increase our energy sovereignty by weaning ourselves off fossil fuels."
