- Jan De Nul and DEME receives permission to construct the world’s first artificial energy island.
- Construction will begin in March 2024 and last around two years, until August 2026.
Jan De Nul and DEME Group NV, both marine companies, have secured an environmental authorization to build the world’s first artificial energy island in the Belgian North Sea.
Princess Elisabeth Island, which will be located inside the 3.5-GW Princess Elisabeth offshore wind zone, has received approval. According to a recent statement issued by Belgian electrical transmission operator Elia Group SA, it was approved by Belgium’s North Sea minister Vincent Van Quickenborne.
Elia stated that it is currently finalizing a design for the energy hub that will be submitted later in 2023.
DEME and Jan De Nul, who won the project’s engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) contract earlier this year, have already begun planning for future construction work.
Princess Elisabeth Island will be around 45 kilometers (30 miles) off the coast. It will connect future offshore wind farms to the Elia onshore grid and will also connect Belgium to the United Kingdom and Denmark via additional interconnectors.
Construction will begin in March 2024 and last around two years, until August 2026.