Belgian electricity transmission system operator Elia Transmission Belgium recently awarded contracts worth EUR 1.452 billion for the high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) parts to be used at Princess Elisabeth Island, the world’s first artificial energy island, which will combine both direct current (HVDC) and alternating current (HVAC) international electricity transmission.

Jun 25, 2024

Belgian electricity transmission system operator Elia Transmission Belgium (ETB) has awarded the contracts for the high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) parts of the future Princess Elisabeth Island, which will be the world’s first artificial energy island to combine both direct current (HVDC) and alternating current (HVAC) international electricity transmission.

Located 45 km off the Belgian coast, the island will serve as a connection point to carry a total of 3.5 GW of additional electricity from the North Sea.

As per a release issued by Elia, the contracts relate to the installation of 330 km of HVAC cables and the installation of HVAC substations on the island. This HVAC equipment will form the connection point for receiving an initial part (2.1 GW) of the electricity generated by wind farms in the Princess Elisabeth Zone and bringing it to the mainland. The HVAC cable and substation contracts are worth a total of around EUR 1.452 billion.

The HVAC cable contracts have been awarded to two consortia. The first one comprises Belgian group DEME & Greek company Hellenic Cables (165 km), while the second one is made up of Belgian firm Jan De Nul and Korean corporation LS Cable & System (165 km).

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The contract for HVAC substations has been awarded to the HSI consortium consisting of Belgian company Iemants (Smulders) and Dutch firms HSM Offshore Energy and IV-Offshore & Energy. The HVAC infrastructure will bring up to 2.1 GW of renewable electricity onshore. The signing of these contracts is an important step in the development of Princess Elisabeth Island.

The island’s HVAC and HVDC infrastructure will pool the electricity generated by wind farms in the Princess Elisabeth Zone and then transfer it onshore, providing access to competitive low-carbon energy while reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. The island will also become a hub for future hybrid interconnectors using HVDC technology.

The use of hybrid interconnectors is an efficient solution because it allows grid infrastructure to serve a dual function – transmitting production from the new offshore wind farms, which will ultimately provide Belgium with large volumes of renewable energy; and exchanging electricity with connected countries when the wind farms are not generating at their full potential.

The contracts awarded in recent days relate solely to the HVAC part of the Princess Elisabeth Island project. The award process for the HVDC contracts is still ongoing. The contract to build the island structure was awarded in 2023. The HVAC infrastructure includes 330 km of 220-kV

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HVAC cables, split into two contracts each covering 165 km. These cables, six in total, will bring an initial part of the electricity generated by the wind farms in the Princess Elisabeth Zone from the island to the coast.

The island’s HVAC infrastructure also includes five modules or substations (shown in orange and fluorescent green in the diagram opposite), which will be installed directly on the island structure. These substations will contain equipment such as transformers and gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substations.