Benoit Moreaux
Senior Offshore Wind Permitting & Environmental AdvisoryHelping offshore wind projects move through complex regulatory environments — from early consenting to construction authorisation.
About BenoitI'm a permitting and environmental professional with 10+ years across offshore wind development, multi-jurisdictional environmental assessment, and international energy policy. Currently serving as Senior Permitting Manager for Nordlicht 1 & 2 (~1.6 GW), Germany's largest offshore wind cluster, managing technical inputs across all packages to secure construction and operations permits from BSH and BfN.When Nordlicht's mandatory environmental baseline surveys stalled outside my function — with a hard regulatory deadline and no BSH guidance to work from — I took ownership of a €130M schedule risk that wasn't originally mine to carry, judged the campaign could be compressed from two to one year, and kept the project on schedule. It's the piece of work I'm proudest of, and it's typical of how I approach permitting: read the risk early, take responsibility for it, and find the path through.Previous work includes global permitting and planning policy at the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), multi-jurisdictional ESIA work at ERM across Germany, Denmark, Indonesia, Vietnam, Ecuador, and the UK, and onshore renewables development in Germany.A background in marine science — MSc in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management, cum laude, VUB Brussels — anchors the environmental expertise and translates directly to marine ecology assessments, fisheries interactions, and coastal and offshore ecological baselines.Earlier experience in science journalism, documentary production, and public communication informs my approach to translating technical and regulatory complexity for non-specialist audiences.Published contributor: GWEC, IRENA, World Bank/ESMAP, World Economic Forum
What I doPermitting & Consenting
End-to-end management of offshore wind permitting processes — from Untersuchungsrahmen and environmental package strategy through authority submissions, condition management, and construction release.Environmental Package Management
Technical ownership of environmental baseline campaigns, contractor steering, EIA/UVP documentation, and quality assurance across multi-package offshore development programmes.Regulatory Strategy & Advisory
Independent advice on German federal consenting (BSH, BfN, BfG), international standards (IFC Performance Standards, Equator Principles), and permitting frameworks across European and emerging markets.Stakeholder & Authority Engagement
Structured engagement with federal maritime authorities, environmental agencies, NGOs, and industry bodies — including formal consultation processes and compliance communications.
Cited contributor to publications by GWEC, IRENA, World Bank/ESMAP, and the World Economic Forum on wind energy permitting and planning policy. Represented GWEC on international panels including Hamburg Wind 2024 and the WEF Responsible Renewables Infrastructure Initiative.IFC / World Bank / ESMAP — The Strategic Value of Community Benefits in Offshore Wind Development, 2024.Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) — Ensuring the Social License for Wind Projects in Latin America, 2024.Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) — Global Wind Report 2025.International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) — Coalition for Action (2025), Nature-positive energy principles: Environmental siting and permitting of solar, wind and grid infrastructure.World Economic Forum (WEF) — Principles for Responsible Deployment of Renewables Infrastructure, Coalition Update 2025.Hamburg Wind 2024 — Panelist on Policy Challenges in Permitting and Planning for Global Offshore Wind @ Global Markets Theatre.Hamburg Wind 2024 — Session Lead on panel “Removing the Barriers for Permitting” @ Global Markets Theatre.Personal profile in the Sustainability Report of HNE Eberswalde (2014/2015) as Vice President of Student Affairs, published by the University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde.
Languages and AvailabilityAvailable for project engagements in English, German, and Portuguese.Based in Lisbon, Portugal. Available for remote work and project travel.