Submission and approval of wind turbine projects in Wallonia

Submission and approval of wind turbine projects in Wallonia.

This project was part of the master’s thesis of Lucas Franck, titled « Explanatory factors of the submission and of the approval of wind turbine projects in Wallonia, Belgium ». It was conducted as part of his Master’s degree in Geographical Sciences at UCLouvain, in 2025.

About the project

This master’s thesis addresses two main questions: What factors influence the location of wind turbines, and what factors affect their approval? Using spatial data on 401 wind turbine projects combined with demographic, environmental, infrastructural, and wind resource variables, logistic regression models were applied to identify statistical relationships with project submission and approval outcomes.

Key findings

Project submission is more likely in postal districts with lower population density, higher presence of major infrastructure (highways, railways, power pylons), and a lower share of Natura 2000 areas.

Project approval depends on different factors: smaller turbine capacity, higher minimum wind power densities, and a lower proportion of land designated as biologically significant are statistically associated with approval.

This thesis provides insight into two territorial dynamics shaping the siting of wind turbines in Belgium: the conditions under which projects are submitted and the distinct factors influencing their approval.

The full document will be available from January 1st, 2026, on the DIAL.mem platform of UCLouvain.