European TSO seeks EPCI contractor to build artificial energy island

A European transmission system operator (TSO) is on the market for engineering, procurement, construction & installation (EPCI) services for an artificial energy island to be completed by August 2026.

Belgium’s Elia plans to build the artificial energy island in the Belgian North Sea as part of the Modular Offshore Grid 2 (MOG 2) Project.

The MOG2 project aims at developing and building new offshore transmission infrastructure and cables following the designation by Belgium’s Government in the Marine Spatial Plan 2020-2026 of the Princess Elisabeth wind farm zone. The maximum targeted capacity to connect is 3.5 GW.

The project’s purpose is to create an energy hub – in the form of an artificial island – not only to provide means of connecting new Belgian offshore power to the mainland, but also to make optimal use of the power production areas in other parts of the North Sea by accommodating a connection point for (hybrid) interconnectors.

The Belgian energy island is therefore expected to contribute to the development of a meshed network at sea that will adequately distribute the offshore production among the different consumption centers according to their needs, Elia said.

The artificial energy island will house the transmission infrastructure, including AC substations and an HVDC conversion station, within the Princess Elisabeth area which will be connected to shore by means of six 220 kV AC cables and one HVDC cable system.

The scope of the EPCI tender includes design works based on the contracting entity’s concept design; all required survey works, beyond those already performed by the contracting entity; sourcing of all required materials such as sand, rocks, caisson, etc. & services; and other ‘completion’ works for the island to be ready for the integration of the electrical infrastructure.

The inspection/maintenance of the island shall also be included as an optional service for this tender.

The contract is scheduled to start on 1 January 2023 and end on 31 August 2026. The tender remains open until 21 February.