Transmission system operator Elia has unveiled a draft plan for a man-made energy island 45 km off the coast of Belgium
The energy island will serve as a hub between the offshore windfarms in Belgium’s second offshore wind zone, which will have a maximum capacity of 3.5 GW, and its high voltage onshore grid.
Elia said the island “will be the first building block of a European offshore electricity grid that will serve as a central hub for new interconnectors with the UK and Denmark.
Belgium’s Maritime Spatial Plan (2020-2026) provides for the development of a new wind power production zone in the Belgian part of the North Sea: the Princess Elisabeth zone. In line with the Belgian Electricity Act, Elia is responsible for extending the transmission grid based on plans that must be approved by ministers. The draft plan for the first energy island is now ready and the tender process is being prepared.
The Princess Elisabeth Island will combine direct current (HVDC) and alternating current (HVAC) transmission systems. Its high-voltage infrastructure will bundle windfarm export cables from the Princess Elisabeth zone together, while also serving as a hub for future interconnectors with the UK /or Denmark.
The hybrid interconnectors will have a dual function and ensure the exchange of electricity between countries. They will also be connected to large-scale offshore windfarms in the North Sea that will provide Belgium with renewable energy.
The energy island will be constructed using concrete caissons filled with sand. A harbour and helicopter pad are also due to be built for use by maintenance teams.
In order to connect all future offshore installations to the Belgian high-voltage grid, 300 km of alternating current cable and 60 km of direct current cable will be required.
A tender process for the island is being prepared, as is the development of an environmental impact assessment. Work is also underway on the permitting procedure and an application for the use of public space.
Construction of the island is due to start in 2024 and the island should be completed mid-2026. After that, construction of the electrical infrastructure on the energy island will start.
Construction of future windfarms is being organised by the government through a series of tenders. The connection of the windfarms to the grid is linked to the commissioning of two onshore grid reinforcement projects, Ventilus and Boucle du Hainaut. Elia aims to achieve full connection capacity by 2030.
