Positive
Project advancing - milestone achieved
Medium Impact
Significant progress or notable issue
HVAC offshore substations on Princess Elisabeth Island (MOG II) are expected to be commissioned in 2030. The Eiffage-led consortium (comprising Smulders, HSM Offshore Energy, and Iv-Offshore and Energy, operating as the HSI Joint Venture) was awarded an EPCIC contract by Elia Transmission Belgium for four high-voltage alternating current substations on the energy island — two rated at 1,050 MW and two at 700 MW. The consortium's press release states: "Installation on the island will commence in 2027 with a view to commissioning in 2030." The substations will collect and aggregate power from the Princess Elisabeth Zone offshore wind farms and interface with the 220 kV HVAC export cable systems connecting the island to the Belgian onshore grid. Construction of the substation modules began in May 2025 at HSM Offshore Energy's Schiedam facilities and Smulders' Belgian and Vlissingen yards, with on-island installation planned from 2027 through to commissioning in 2030. This timeline is consistent with the broader project schedule: cable installation campaigns by DEME/Hellenic Cables (2027) and Jan De Nul/LS Cable (2028), and Elia's target for the HVAC infrastructure to be ready to receive first power from offshore wind farms around 2030-2031.