Belgians who view their Dutch neighbours to the north as stereotypically stingy, arrogant and noisy may have found a novel way to take the wind out of the Netherlands’ sails.
As the North Sea fills with offshore renewable energy farms, Belgians have been accused of stealing wind from Dutch turbines.
A huge expansion of wind power in the region is having an impact on atmospheric stability and affecting the wind in the wake of wind farms, snatching power from neighbouring turbines. Some wind farms in Belgium are taking up to 3 per cent of generating power from Dutch installations, posing the risk of future conflicts over air currents.
