Commercial Operations Full Power

DELAYED +3yr (Apr 2026): Developer communications and supplier timelines (e.g. HSM Offshore Energy/Smulders MOG2 contract) still target installations being ready to welcome the first offshore parks around 2030, but these refer mainly to the HVAC part of the island enabling about 60% of the Princess Elisabeth Zone capacity. Elia Group's Q1 2025 statement confirms that the HVDC part of Princess Elisabeth Island has been paused and HVDC contract signing postponed due to soaring costs, with alternative designs under study. Given the subsequent abandonment of the previously negotiated HVDC contract and the typical 6–8 year lead time for large offshore HVDC systems (design, tendering, manufacturing, installation and commissioning), it is unlikely that the full multi-GW hub concept (including the HVDC-based third lot and hybrid interconnector functionality) will be fully operational by the originally stated 2030 date. Adjusting full-power commercial operation for the complete island concept to around 2033 while noting that partial HVAC-based operation around 2030 remains plausible. --- The island is planned to be fully operational by 2030, acting as a hub to collect offshore wind power and export it to the mainland via undersea cables.