In the presence of federal ministers Tinne Van der Straeten (Energy) and Vincent Van Quickenborne (North Sea), Belgian system operator Elia has presented its draft plans for what will be the world’s first artificial energy island, according to Elia.
The Princess Elisabeth Island will be located almost 45 kilometers (28 miles) off the Belgian coast and will serve as the link between the offshore wind farms in the second offshore wind zone (which will have a maximum capacity of 3.5 gigawatts/GW) and its onshore high-voltage grid. The energy island will also be the first building block of a European offshore electricity grid that will serve as a central hub for new interconnectors with the United Kingdom and Denmark.
The island is an innovative tour de force that once again puts Belgium on the map as a pioneer in offshore energy. It will combine both direct current (HVDC) and alternating current (HVAC). The island’s high-voltage infrastructure will