Plans emerge for another renewable energy island to power Europe

The energy ministers from the United Kingdom and Belgium last week signed a memorandum of understanding which could see the two countries work together to build yet another renewable energy island in the North Sea.

The UK’s minister for energy Greg Hands and Belgium’s minister for energy Tinne Van der Straeten signed an agreement on energy cooperation last week in a move which expands upon the bilateral energy relationship between the two countries.

Already connected by the 1GW Nemo Link interconnector which has been in operation since the beginning of 2019, the UK and Belgium’s expanded partnership will explore the possibility of a second interconnection, connected to a North Sea energy island.

Belgium minister for energy Tinne Van der Straeten said  the new link would allow power to be exchanged directly between the two countries and new wind farms can also be connected to it.

“The new interconnection fits in with the plan to turn the North Sea into one large sustainable energy plant,” the minister said.

“Leading is most profitable. This is provided by Belgium’s offshore power production, which is breaking all records this month and is having a downward effect on prices.”

The UK has committed to operating 40GW worth of offshore wind capacity by 2040, while Belgium is aiming at 4.4GW worth of offshore wind installed by 2030.

“I’m pleased to be able to agree today even greater cooperation with our neighbours in Belgium on electricity interconnection,” said UK’s minister for energy Greg Hands.

“We already have a longstanding energy relationship, and this agreement will strengthen our joint energy security and reduce our exposure to global energy prices.”

The memorandum of understanding between the two countries will also see cooperation on shared energy priorities including offshore wind, low carbon hydrogen, and carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS).

Belgium has already tested the waters on building energy islands, through its part in a pair of announcements with Germany and Denmark made in November last year.

This included a co-operation agreement with Danish national transmission system operator (TSO) Energinet to investigate developing an interconnector between a Danish energy island in the North Sea and the Belgian grid.

Denmark is not short of energy islands, having already announced plans to develop two back in mid-2020 – one in the North Sea and one in the Baltic Sea, the latter of which forms the focus of the second agreement signed between Energinet and German TSO 50Hertz.