Princess Elisabeth Energy Island, North Sea, Belgium

Situation

The Princess Elisabeth Energy Island, located 45km off the Belgian coast, is the world’s first artificial energy island. Developed by Elia Group on behalf of the Belgian government and constructed by the TM Edison consortium (Jan De Nul Group and DEME Group), the island will serve as a crucial hub for offshore wind farms and high-voltage interconnections. Once completed, it will deliver a stable and sustainable energy supply to millions.

At the heart of the project are 23 massive concrete caissons - each 60 metres long and over 30 metres high - which house critical electrical infrastructure. Grounding the high-voltage system safely and reliably presented unique engineering challenges, particularly due to strict fire safety standards, IEC 61914 cleat compliance, and the limited 4cm concrete wall thickness available for cleat mounting.

Solution

In partnership with Batenburg Energietechniek, Ellis Patents supplied its Phoenix Cable Clamps, which were selected for their fire safety performance and compliance with international standards, as well as the ease with which they can be installed in confined and exposed environments.

Key contributions included:

• Phoenix Cable Clamps, which met IEC 61914 and stringent fire-resistant in accordance with BS 5839-1 regulations while offering a compact and stable fixing solution.

• On-site testing and validation, where samples were initially sent and installed in real conditions to confirm their initial suitability, before a further detailed field test took place using 250 clamps. Once this was achieved successfully, 1660 cleats were ordered and installed.

• Secure wall-mounted installation in narrow 4cm concrete sections within hexagonal “beehive-style” steel cable ducts up to 20 metres high.

• Integration with CADweld earthing systems, enabling reliable connection of ground cables across the complex caisson structures.

Thanks to Ellis Patents' robust Phoenix cleats and the strong technical collaboration with Batenburg, the Princess Elisabeth Island grounding infrastructure is progressing smoothly ensuring a safe, stable foundation for one of the most significant offshore energy projects in the world.