Marine construction consortium TM Edison, a joint venture comprising Jan De Nul and DEME, have completed the foundation works for the Princess Elisabeth Island on behalf of Elia Transmission Belgium.
Located 45 kilometres off the coast in the North Sea, the project concluded with the installation of the 23rd and final foundation element on August 20.
Designed to connect Belgium's second offshore wind zone and enable future energy links with the United Kingdom, the outer shell consists of 23 concrete caissons.
Construction of the foundation structure began in 2024, with each caisson weighing approximately 22,000 tonnes and measuring 58 metres long, 28 metres wide and between 23 and 32 metres high.
Built in Vlissingen by a daily workforce of roughly 300 people, a single caisson required approximately three months to construct before being transported to sea for installation.
The project now moves into a sand-reclamation phase inside the caisson structure over the coming months, followed by cable installations to the mainland scheduled for 2027 and 2028.
Elia Transmission Belgium reported that electrical infrastructure installation is set to commence in 2029, with the island expected to bring its first electricity ashore upon final completion in 2031. Completing the foundation on schedule enables the company to qualify for €99 million ($108 million) in European taxpayer-funded subsidies allocated to this phase.
To protect the structure against erosion and support marine life, rocks with settled young oysters were installed around the perimeter at the end of July.
