Artificial energy island in the Belgian North Sea: ‘a world first’

The Princess Elisabeth Island will be approximately 45 km off the Belgian coast and will be the linking point between the offshore wind farms of the second offshore wind zone (with a maximum capacity of 3.5 GW) and the onshore high-voltage grid.

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International Hub

The energy island will also be the first building block of a European offshore electricity grid that can serve as a central hub for new interconnectors with Great Britain and Denmark.

The energy island can count on resources from the covid recovery fund that Belgium has had approved by the European Commission and for which a subsidy of approximately 100 million euros must be awarded.

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The tender procedure for the island is ongoing, as are the elaboration of the environmental impact assessment, the preparation of the permit procedure and the application for a domain concession. Construction is expected to start in 2024 and be completed by mid-2026. From then on, the construction of the electrical infrastructure on the energy island will start.

“By quadrupling the capacity of offshore wind by 2040, we will strengthen our energy independence, lower our bills and reduce CO2 emissions,” said Tinne Van der Straeten, Minister of Energy. “The North Sea will become the powerhouse of our energy independence”, adds Minister of the North Sea, Vincent Van Quickenborne.