Belgium and Denmark agree on the link between their energy islands
Denmark and Belgium have agreed on a hybrid interconnection which will link, by the end of the decade, the artificial energy islands of the two countries. This strengthening of the existing partnership was a world first.
let’s remember that the intermediate stage (the memorandum of understanding, MoU) was passed last February, the two countries then agreeing on the main lines of the project.
“With the energy islands and the hybrid interconnection, we are positioning ourselves as pioneers and transforming the North Sea into a large renewable power plant.”
But a long way to go since February. From now on, the two operators of the electricity transmission network concerned, Elia (Belgium) and Energinet (Denmark), seek to build the first 600 km submarine link between two artificial energy islands in the world. The project, called Triton Link, will thus aim to interconnect the two countries and allow the exchange of electrons and their transport to dry land. “The construction of the Triton Link is expected to take around four years and be finalized around 2030,” says Elia. “With the energy islands and the hybrid interconnection, we are positioning ourselves as pioneers and transforming the North Sea into a large renewable power station,” said the Minister.
Prowess Technique
The novelty of the project therefore lies in the interconnection between two energy islands, the completion of which is scheduled for 2030 for Denmark, and 2026 for the Belgian version. “For the first time, two artificial energy islands will be electrically connected through a cable that will not only allow the exchange of electricity between two countries, but will also be connected to major wind farms in the North Sea.“, commented Chris Peeters, CEO of Elia.
The Belgian energy island, called “Princess Elisabeth Zone”, should have a capacity of between 3.2 and 3.5 GW and thus push the wind power production capacity in the North Sea to 5.8 GW. By connecting to the Danish island and its 10 GW of capacity, Belgium offers itself a choice of access to carbon-free electricity.
Due to its geographical location, Denmark is set to become one of the largest producers of electricity from wind power in Europe. Thanks to this interconnection, Belgium offers itself the possibility of harvesting the surplus energy produced. The interconnection capacity of Triton Link is estimated between 1.4 and 2 GW.