DEME and Jan De Nul to build Princess Elisabeth Island infrastructure
Belgian high-voltage grid operator Elia has awarded three contracts worth almost 1.5 billion euros to Belgian dredgers DEME and Jan De Nul. They have been selected to build the infrastructure for Princess Elisabeth Island, the 3.5 gigawatt artificial energy island located 45km off the Belgian coast.
The contracts relate to the construction of the high voltage alternating current infrastructure that will bring 2.1 gigawatts of wind energy ashore. Elia awarded two contracts for the laying of 330km of cables and one for the construction of high-voltage substations on the island.
DEME, in partnership with Greece's Hellenic Cables, and Jan De Nul, in partnership with Korea's LS Cable & System, each won contracts to lay 165km of cable. The contract for the high-voltage substations goes to a consortium of Belgium's Iemants (Smulders) and the Netherlands' HSM Offshore Energy and Iv-Offshore & Energy.
1.452 billion euros
The contracts are worth a total of 1.452 billion euros and were awarded through a European tender process. "The market for high-voltage equipment is under pressure due to very high demand for this type of equipment, rising prices for certain materials and inflation," said Elia, which said the costs were "in line with current market conditions".
In early 2023, DEME and Jan De Nul jointly won the contract to build the energy island itself, which at the time had a price tag of 600 million euros. The project is due to be completed by the end of 2026, after which infrastructure work can begin.
Contracts for the high-voltage direct current infrastructure will be awarded later this year. This infrastructure will bundle the remaining 1.4GW of generated power and bring it to shore.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM
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