Construction of the high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) infrastructure for Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth offshore energy hub has officially begun, marked by a steel-cutting ceremony at the HSM Offshore Energy yard in Schiedam, Netherlands. The HVAC modules—including high-voltage substations and a facility module—will be installed directly on the artificial island, located 45 km off the Belgian coast.
The island will serve as a key grid connection point for transporting at least 2.1 GW of offshore wind energy from the Princess Elisabeth Zone to the mainland. The substations will contain power transformers and gas-insulated switchgear, forming the core of the island’s alternating current transmission system. The modules are being delivered by HSI Pemac, a Belgian-Dutch consortium comprising HSM Offshore Energy, Smulders and IV. The consortium was awarded the engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning contract by Elia, the Belgian transmission system operator and part of Elia Group. Engineering work, including the layout and detailed 3D modelling, is taking place at IV’s offices in Papendrecht. Prefabrication is underway at Smulders’ Belgian sites and HSM’s Schiedam yard, with final assembly set for Schiedam and Vlissingen.
