The Legal Framework for (Inter)connecting the Belgian Offshore Wind Farms

In his doctoral thesis, <i>The Legal Framework for (Inter)connecting the Belgian Offshore Wind Farms</i>, Angelo Goethals explores the legal challenges and frameworks governing the transmission and interconnection of Belgium's offshore wind farms. Conducted within the framework of the PhairywinD project, funded by the Energy Transition Fund, Angelo Goethals investigates three critical themes: grid development and integration, market issues, and the planning, permitting, and licensing processes. While the findings are academically significant, they also carry practical relevance, not only for Belgium but for other jurisdictions, both within and beyond the North Sea. The research delves into key issues such as the concept of offshore bidding zones, legal restrictions surrounding them, the qualification of energy islands as artificial islands under UNCLOS, the status of hybrid and multipurpose interconnectors, and the tension between European and international law.