45 kilometers inland from the Belgian coast, an energy island is being constructed. According to Marine Insight, the building phase will commence at the beginning of 2024.

The creation of an island in the North Sea has been envisaged by Belgian transmission system operator Eila. A partnership led by the Belgians John De Nul and Do not say eventually prevailed in the construction project’s tender.

Princess Elisabeth Island is named after the Crown Princess of Belgium. When finished, it will act as a hub for the wind farms in the nearby coastal areas. New electrical network connections will also be built from the island to other nations.

After the high-voltage grid is built, the foundations will need to be built, which will take about 2.5 years. In the hopes of obtaining renewable energy, Belgium seeks to strengthen its ties with Denmark and Great Britain. The energy island is the first piece of the eventual integrated electrical network.

The tender started in January 2022. Eila received various offers from Belgium and beyond, but the winner was chosen based on a number of factors, including technical quality, business terms, and legal considerations. Safety was also one of the primary selecting criterion.

The island will be the first man-made energy island in the world to use both high-voltage direct current and high-voltage alternating current when it is finished. The island will receive the transmission cables from the nearby wind farms, and a connecting cable will link the transmission networks of the energy islands planned for Denmark and Great Britain.

The North Sea’s six-hectare electrical infrastructure reserve is for the island. A helicopter landing pad and boat berths are also planned.

The project has received a 100 million euro subsidy from the Belgian government.