The first artificial energy island in the world will be built by Belgian companies DEME and Jan De Nul. Beginning in early 2024, work on the Princess Elisabeth Island's foundation will last for 2 and a half years, as per a press release.
The island will also serve as the foundation for a comprehensive offshore electrical system in Europe that will link centers and nations. For instance, Belgium aims to develop more cooperative contacts with Denmark and Great Britain.
These will provide access to the enormous volumes of renewable energy required to reduce the industry's reliance on fossil fuels.
Princess Elisabeth Island
The Princess Elisabeth Island will be the first man-made island in the world to use both alternating current (HVAC) and high-voltage direct current (HVDC).
The artificial island's high-voltage infrastructure will bundle the Princess Elisabeth zone's wind farm export cables and act as a hub for future interconnectors with Denmark and Great Britain.
These so-called "hybrid interconnectors" help countries trade electricity, and they are also linked to enormous offshore wind farms in the North Sea that will eventually supply Belgium with copious amounts of clean energy.
The location of the energy island will be roughly 45 kilometers offshore. The space allotted for the construction of the electrical infrastructure will be around 6 hectares large, or about the size of 12 football fields.
It will be made of concrete caissons filled with sand and placed within the Princess Elisabeth wind zone. To enable maintenance teams to visit the island, a small harbor and helicopter platform will also be built.
The European Covid Recovery Fund has provided funding for the energy island and it has also received a grant from the Belgian government worth about €100 million.
Engine of Energy Independence
The island's design can now be finalized as the building contract has been awarded. Beginning in early 2024, work on the island will last until August 2026.
In 2024 and 2025, the caissons will be constructed and put into service and will form the contours of the island.
The island's foundation will then be lifted and made ready for the installation of the electrical infrastructure. It will be linked to the Elia onshore grid and the brand-new offshore wind farms.
"The North Sea will become the engine of our energy independence. The Princess Elisabeth Island will be an essential link in this. Our country has long been a pioneer in the field of offshore wind power with companies such as DEME and Jan De Nul, which are world leaders," Vincent Van Quickenborne, Federal Minister of North Sea, said in a statement.
"They are proving it once again with these plans for the world's first energy island. It is thanks to their expertise and their role as global pioneers that we can accelerate the energy transition together."
