Belgium’s transmission system operator (TSO) Elia has awarded contracts to several companies for high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) components of Princess Elisabeth Island, the world’s first energy island.
The artificial energy island will be built some 45 kilometres off the Belgian coast, within the Princess Elisabeth offshore wind farm zone, and span about five hectares above water. The area that will house the electrical infrastructure will be built across approximately six hectares.
Princess Elisabeth Island will be the first artificial energy island in the world to combine both direct current (HVDC) and alternating current (HVAC). The high-voltage infrastructure on the island will bundle together the export cables from the wind farms in the 3.5 GW Princess Elisabeth Zone while also serving as a hub for future interconnectors with the United Kingdom (Nautilus) and Denmark (TritonLink).
