EuropeOffshoreRenewables

DEME and Jan De Nul JV selected to build world’s first energy island off Belgium

Belgian marine contractors DEME and Jan De Nul have won a contract for the construction of the world’s first artificial energy island.

Under the joint venture TM Edison, the two offshore construction players sealed an EPCI (engineering, procurement, construction and installation) deal with Belgian transmission system operator Elia covering the further design and construction of Princess Elisabeth Island in the Belgian part of the North Sea.

The Princess Elisabeth Island will be the world’s first artificial energy island that combines both direct current (HVDC) and alternating current (HVAC). The island’s high-voltage infrastructure will bundle the wind farm export cables of the 3.5 GW Princess Elisabeth zone together, while also serving as a hub for future interconnectors with the UK and Denmark.

The energy island will be located about 45 km off the coast. The area set aside for the installation of the electrical infrastructure will be around 6 hectares in size, which is equivalent to about 12 football pitches. The project has received funding from the European Covid Recovery Fund. The Belgian government decided to award the island with a grant of approximately €100m. The construction of the island will start in early 2024 and continue until August 2026.

Adis Ajdin

Adis is an experienced news reporter with a background in finance, media and education. He has written across the spectrum of offshore energy and ocean industries for many years and is a member of International Federation of Journalists. Previously he had written for Navingo media group titles including Offshore Energy, Subsea World News and Marine Energy.
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