Belgium is making plans for the construction of an energy island in its North Sea waters to store wind power by 2025, as the country looks to accelerate its energy transition.
SeaMade Wind Farm, Belgium. Source: Siemens Gamesa
The SeaMade Wind Farm, located around 40-50 km off the coast of Ostend, Belgium. Source: Siemens Gamesa
"We are going to build a multifunctional energy island in the North Sea which will interconnect our wind turbines … but at the same time it will also allow the storage and production of green hydrogen," said Belgian energy minister Tinne Van der Straeten.
Also read: Denmark gives go-ahead to huge North Sea energy island
She added that the 2025 completion target was "ambitious but feasible" and could even beat Denmark's wind island plan to be the first of its kind to be completed.
The government is investigating the possibility of constructing the island within the Princess Elisabeth Zone of the North Sea, which is one of two designated areas for offshore renewable energy in Belgian waters.
"One of the main uses for the hub under investigation is the transmission of electricity created in this area," a ministry spokesperson said.
Belgium has an offshore wind capacity of 2.2 GW at its first and fully-developed wind zone and is aiming to expand to 4.5 GW when the Princess Elisabeth Zone construction is complete.
Also read: Denmark & Netherlands agree to explore offshore energy hub ideas
A feasibility study for the project is still ongoing and the spokesperson stressed that no final decision had been made. The project's founder and owner is the country's grid operator Elia. Other partners working on the project have yet to be disclosed.
In February, the Danish government gave its approval for the construction of its own energy island, scheduled for completion in 2033 with an initial offshore wind capacity of 3 GW, with the potential for that to increase to 10 GW over time.
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