# Elia Installs 23rd Caisson for Princess Elisabeth Energy Island and Closes €1B EIB Green Financing for 220 kV HVAC Hub

> Elia Transmission Belgium has placed the 23rd and final concrete foundation caisson for Princess Elisabeth Island in the North Sea, while securing €1 billion in green financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to construct the world’s first artificial energy island.

- **Publish Date:** 2026-09-24
- **Category:** renewable-integration
- **Reading Time:** 5 min
- **Original Source Citation:** [Elia Transmission Belgium & European Investment Bank (EIB)](https://www.elia.be/en/news/press-releases/2026/09/princess-elisabeth-island-final-caisson-eib-financing-september-2026)
- **Tags:** Elia, Princess Elisabeth Island, North Sea, Offshore Substation, HVAC, EIB, Belgium
- **Canonical URL:** https://voltformer.com/news/elia-belgium-princess-elisabeth-island-final-caisson-1bn-eib-financing
- **Markdown Source:** https://voltformer.com/news/elia-belgium-princess-elisabeth-island-final-caisson-1bn-eib-financing.md

## World’s First Artificial Energy Island Reaches Foundation Completion

Positioned 45 kilometers off the Belgian coastline, the 23 pre-stressed concrete caissons form the perimeter of a 6-hectare artificial island designed to gather 3.5 GW of offshore wind generation.

With the perimeter enclosure finalized, reclamation teams are infilling 2.3 million cubic meters of sand to construct the surface platform that will host high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) switchyards and step-up transformers.

## 220 kV Substation Infrastructure and Mainshore Cable Ties

Supported by the €1 billion EIB credit line, Elia will install modular 220 kV gas-insulated switchgear, 66 kV export cable termination skids, and harmonic filter banks on the island platform.

The electrical infrastructure connects to the Belgian mainland via four 220 kV subsea AC circuits landing at Gezelle and Ventilus, positioning Belgium as a central hub for North Sea offshore power.

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