Belgium to construct first artificial energy island in the North Seа

Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten explained that it would help turn the sea into а big green open-air power plant

Yesterday, the Belgian energy company Elia announced plans for constructing the world’s first offshore energy island. The island will be located in the North Sea and will help collect and redirect renewable energy from offshore wind farms located in the area.

Developing the North Sea as an energy space

In May 2022, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium agreed to start working on one of the biggest offshore wind installations in the world, literally farming the resources of the North Sea. However, transporting that energy back to mainland Europe and integrating it back into the high voltage grid needs very specific infrastructure.

This is why the Belgian company Elia announced they would construct the so-called Princess Elisabeth Island, 45 kilometres off the coast of mainland Europe. The island will be able to harness the renewable energy generated at sea and transform it into a current that can be fed to the grid.

Princess Elisabeth Island will be the central energy transit hub for the offshore zone that will be able to produce around 3.5 gigawatts at peak capacity.

Moreover, the island should serve as a transit hub for energy interconnectors with Denmark and the United Kingdom, uniting the offshore wind production in the area. It should also be able to tackle hydrogen shipments.

Belgian Federal Minister for Energy Tinne Van der Straeten explained in an official statement that the island was a crucial step into turning the North Sea into one big green open-air power plant for renewable energy.  

According to the government’s own plans, offshore wind generation is set to quadruple by 2040, which should help reduce bills for consumers significantly as well as cut CO2 emissions.