Construction of world’s first energy island starts in 2024

Source: | · OFFSHORE · | March 2, 2023

DEME and joint venture partner Jan De Nul Group will design and construct the island in the Belgian North Sea for transmission system operator Elia.

Source: Municipal Climate Change Action Centre

BELGIUM — The Belgian consortium TM EDISON, including DEME and Jan De Nul, has won the tender for the construction of the world’s first artificial energy island.

The construction of the foundations of the Princess Elisabeth Island will begin in early 2024 and will last 2.5 years. After that, the installation of the high-voltage infrastructure can be started. The latter will be necessary for bringing the electricity from Belgium’s future offshore wind zone to shore.

Hybrid interconnectors

The island also will be the first building block of an integrated European offshore electricity grid that will connect various hubs and countries together. For instance, Belgium wants to build additional joint interconnections with Great Britain and Denmark. "These will give our country access to the massive amounts of renewable energy that are needed to make our industry less dependent on fossil fuels in the short term," DEME stated in a news release.

System operator Elia presented its draft plans for what it says will be the world’s first artificial energy island in October 2022. The tender process for the island started in January 2022. Elia received multiple bids from companies based in Belgium and abroad. TM EDISON was selected as the winner. In addition to a specialized fleet, DEME and Jan De Nul hold experience and expertise in the field of dredging, land extension, coastal protection and civil engineering.