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New Energy World
New Energy World embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low carbon technologies.
As RWE’s Thor project gears up for construction, financing is agreed for the Princess Elisabeth Island interconnector project, and energy ministers meet to facilitate even more offshore wind development in the North Sea.
RWE Thor offshore wind farm construction nears
The first batch of eight monopile foundations for RWE’s 1GW Thor offshore wind farm have arrived at Eemshaven port in the Netherlands. These foundations, each weighing up to 1,500 tonnes and measuring up to 100 metres in length, will be used to support the Siemens Gamesa flagship SG 14-236 DD wind turbines in the Danish North Sea. In total, 72 such foundations will be handled at Eemshaven.
In spring 2025, foundations will be shipped from the heavy-lift terminal to the Thor construction site, located approximately 22 km off the west coast of Jutland. Turbine installation is to be carried out from the Port of Esbjerg in Denmark starting in 2026. The Port of Thorsminde will serve as the operation and maintenance base, creating 50 to 60 local jobs, with start of operations planned by the end of 2027.
EIB agrees funding for Princess Elisabeth energy island
To the south-west, at a site 45 km offshore Belgium, construction will soon start of the Princess Elisabeth Island Project, in the wind zone of the same name, which will link 3.5 GW of offshore wind capacity into Belgium’s electricity grid when it is built in 2027.
Princess Elisabeth Island is said to be the first artificial energy island in the world hosting both high-voltage direct current (HVDC) and alternating current (HVAC) infrastructure. The first of the island’s caissons, or foundations, are currently being built in Vlissingen (the Netherlands) and will soon be sunk at sea and filled with sand to form the foundations of the island. The high-voltage infrastructure installed on the island will bundle together the export cables of the Princess Elisabeth Zone wind farms while also serving as a hub for future interconnectors that will link Belgium to the UK and other countries.
To help fund the first phase of the project, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Elia Transmission Belgium have signed a €650mn green credit facility agreement.
Robert de Groot, Vice President of the European Investment Bank, says: ‘The Princess Elisabeth Island project is a cornerstone for enhancing Belgium’s and Europe’s energy security and independence. This initiative not only strengthens Belgium’s energy infrastructure but also fosters vital interconnections with neighbouring countries, thereby promoting increased regional cooperation. By investing in this project, the EIB and Elia are deepening the European power market and paving the way for a sustainable, more secure and resilient energy future for all European citizens.’
North Seas ministers discuss measures to improve offshore wind development
On that topic, at the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) Ministerial Meeting in Odense, Denmark, last month, energy ministers from nine North Seas countries reaffirmed their commitment to transforming the region into Europe’s green power plant, according to a report from industry association WindEurope.
In a joint NSEC declaration, the Energy Ministers of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway identified six key areas of collaboration, including the competitiveness of Europe’s offshore wind supply chain and the need to reinvent offshore wind financing.
In terms of offshore wind planning, the NSEC recommends a ‘digital transparency tool’ that provides visibility for the entire wind energy value chain. The tool should serve as an overview of auction schedules, manufacturing capacities, equipment requirements and port capacities across the North Seas countries. Ultimately, it is envisaged to cover all of Europe, including the UK and Norway.
Generally the NSEC recommendations call for ‘a more effective and constructive cooperation between the UK and NSEC’.
Also, the NSEC recommendations call for a new approach to offshore financing. Preliminary discussions have started to establish an ‘offshore regional facility’ to unlock financing at sea-basin level. The facility could support funding of meshed grid infrastructure and hybrid offshore projects, and help overcome persisting questions on cost-, risk- and benefit-sharing between the actors involved. The facility would be based on voluntary cooperation between the European Commission, member states, private investors and possibly non-EU countries which could support offshore projects.
WindEurope welcomed the development.
