Belgian-Danish energy island connection to be delayed

The planned connection between the Belgian and Danish energy islands will be delayed. The Danish authorities estimate that the project will be finalized by 2033 and not in 2030. Nevertheless, Minister for Energy Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) is planning a meeting with her (new) Danish colleague Lars Aagaard (Moderates) to shorten that period.

Denmark is planning to create two ‘energy islands’, one in the North Sea and the other in the Baltic Sea. The islands are to become a kind of offshore power plant, collecting and storing renewable energy from hundreds of wind turbines in the area.

Energy hub

The first island in the Baltic Sea will be the existing island of Bornholm and will be the physical hub for offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 2 GW. The second island, in the North Sea, will require an artificial structure 80 km offshore, like a platform or a caisson island.

Both islands will export energy to the Danish mainland and some neighboring countries, like Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.

Triton Link

In November 2021, Van der Straeten signed an agreement in Copenhagen with her former colleague Dan Jørgensen (Social Democrats) for the construction of a hybrid interconnector with Denmark, the so-called Triton Link.

According to network operator Elia, the interconnector will allow 3 GW of offshore wind energy to be connected to Belgium. Later, this could be gradually increased to 10 or even 12 GW. Denmark only recently informed Belgian authorities about the delay. However, the project is not in jeopardy and still enjoys broad political support.