World's First and Only Artificial Intelligence Island Construction Begins

Thursday - October 5 2023, 14:16 UTC - 1 year ago

Elia, Belgium's transmission system operator, has announced the commencement of the world's first and only artificial intelligence island. The 45-kilometer-off-the-coast (28-mile) energy center consisting of wind farms and interconnectors from the UK and Denmark will link the onshore electricity system of Belgium. The project costs an estimated €575 million and the wind turbines are estimated to generate 6 terrawatt/hours of clean energy. The project is expected to be completed in August 2026.

Belgian transmission system operator Elia announced on its site on Tuesday that it had received a permit to proceed with the construction of Princess Elisabeth Island, the world’s first and only artificial intelligence island.

The island consists of a 45-kilometer-off-the-coast (28-mile) energy center that will link the onshore electricity system of Belgium with new wind farms and extra interconnectors from the UK and Denmark. A crucial requirement for its development is getting the permit, for which Elia applied in January of 2023.

A leader in offshore wind .

"Belgium is a leader in offshore wind. It is accelerating the energy transition via a fourfold increase in offshore wind capacity in the Belgian North Sea, the construction of an energy island and new interconnectors with countries which surround the North Sea," said Tinne Van der Straeten, Belgium’s Federal Minister for Energy.

He added that the new energy island will become an offshore wind energy hub that will provide sustainable affordable energy for the country’s families and companies and turn the North Sea into a green energy plant.

The location where Elia will construct the concrete foundations for the island is situated in Vlissingen in the North Sea Port. Preparations for the upcoming work have already begun and are being led by a collaboration made up of the Belgian marine construction firms DEME and Jan De Nul.

Meanwhile, Elia is currently finishing up an island design that incorporates nature in order to protect the island’s marine and terrestrial wildlife. This proposal will be submitted later this year. The design was developed in conjunction with outside specialists to see which elements could be changed or added in order to increase biodiversity on and around the island.

Van der Straeten noted that the new construction and installation plans cannot afford to ignore marine life both above and below water and praised Elia for working on a nature-inclusive design that will seek to protect and perhaps even restore aquatic life.

Increasing Beligium's energy production .

Overall, Princess Elisabeth Island will have a huge impact on Belgium’s energy production.

"We plan to continue developing the North Sea as Belgium’s leading energy centre and Princess Elisabeth Island will be a crucial part of this process," said Vincent Van Quickenborne, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and the North Sea.

The official called the island the second offshore wind zone and said the first wind turbines will be commissioned in 2028, delivering additional offshore green energy for the nation’s many inhabitants. The project will also mark the first time that any country in the world will install wind turbines in protected marine areas.

As such, Van Quickenborn also praised Elia’s commitment to a nature-inclusive design that protects the marine environment. It will take about two years to complete the project, a time period that will extend from March 2024 to August 2026.