Wedoany.com Report-May 6, On Wednesday, Belgian grid operator Elia Group announced the successful installation of the first two out of 23 concrete caissons at Prince Elizabeth Energy Island in the North Sea. The caissons, each weighing 22,000 tonnes and measuring 58 meters in length, 28 meters in width, and up to 32 meters in height, were positioned after careful planning.

Elia Group’s rendering of its future energy island, which will be in the Princess Elizabeth energy zone

Constructed at the port of Vlissingen, the caissons were towed by four tugs over a distance of approximately 100 kilometers, across the Western Scheldt and the North Sea. Once on location, the caissons were sunk, and work has now started to fill them with sand ballast and reinforce them with rubble. The entire installation process took about 24 hours to complete.

Elia Group described this achievement as a significant milestone, showcasing the expertise of Belgian companies in complex marine engineering projects. The company further explained, “In the coming months, the east side of the island will first be completed, after which work will begin on the south side. The speed of progress depends entirely on weather conditions.”

When the full set of caissons is installed, the island will be equipped with infrastructure to transmit electricity generated by approximately 3.5 GW of offshore wind turbines to the Belgian grid. Additionally, the island will serve as a relay for other wind energy zones in the North Sea.