(VTC News) - The first artificial energy island in the world has obtained environmental permits, so all system...
(VTC News) - The first artificial energy island in the world has obtained environmental permits, so all systems will soon be operational in Belgium.
Princess Elisabeth Island will be the pioneering artificial energy island at sea, located 45 km off the coast of Belgium, connecting new offshore wind farms, additional connection points from the United Kingdom and Denmark to Belgium's onshore power grids.
Princess Elisabeth Island will function as an energy hub by connecting new offshore wind farms. (Photo: Elia)
Belgium's electricity transmission system operator, Elia, is the main developer of this project, and obtaining the permit Elia applied for in January 2023 was a significant milestone. Construction will take more than two years, from March 2024 to August 2026, with the project expected to be fully connected to wind farms and mainland by 2030, yielding a total capacity of 3.5GW.
Additionally, a consortium of offshore service providers DEME and Jan De Nul has secured the technical, procurement, construction, and installation contract for this project. In total, there are 23 concrete gravity-based foundations, each 60m long, 30m wide, and 30m high. They will be towed to the offshore location and installed in 2024 and 2025. After installation, the island will be reclaimed with sand, preparing for the installation of power infrastructure.
The world's first artificial energy island will receive energy from wind turbines via submarine cables, which will then be converted into high-voltage electricity and distributed to mainland Belgium and other European countries. The energy island will also combine both direct current and alternating current.
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and the North Sea, Vincent Van Quickenborne, stated: "We intend to continue developing the North Sea into Belgium's leading energy center, and Princess Elisabeth Island will be an integral part of this process."
Meanwhile, Tinne Van der Straeten, Federal Minister of Energy of Belgium, said: "The energy island will become an offshore wind energy hub, providing green energy at affordable prices for our households and companies.
The permit we grant for Princess Elisabeth Island is a significant step in the journey to turn the North Sea into a green energy factory. It is important that we consider marine life, both on land and underwater around the area. It is good that Elia is continuing to focus on upgrading the design to integrate the project more with nature."
Via VTC