Image for representation purposes only As electricity requirements continue to rise across the world, many projects are being undertaken to fulfil this enormous demand, and one such initiative is the ‘Energy Islands’, which are gradually coming up in Europe. According to International Energy Agency data, Europe has a total wind energy capacity of over 218 GW, but offshore wind is a tiny part of the renewable energy growth through the 2030s. Supporters of the energy islands claim that these structures can open new markets for offshore wind development further out to sea than is practical at the moment. Energy Islands are supposed to be offshore electricity supply centres which would sell high-voltage renewable power generated from wind farms to several countries. The man-made islands would include equipment for both direct and alternating current and act as a connection point to the mainland for offshore wind farms in the North Sea and the others that are currently under construction. Princess Elisabeth Island Project One such project is the 4.2 billion-dollar Princess Elisabeth Island by Hub Jan de Nul and DEME Group, situated 30 miles off the North Sea shores of Belgium. Spread across a 15-acre artificial island, the world’s first artificial energy island promises to double Belgium’s installed offshore wind capacity, which is currently 2.3 GW. High-voltage cables, each with a 220-kV capacity, would be installed in 2027 and 2028 to connect to shore. At least two or three wind farms would be built close to the island with a total capacity of 3.5 GW. A milestone was achieved in August after the last concrete caisson, which formed the island’s perimeter, was successfully installed, marking the completion of one of the most complex phases of the project. The island’s interior was built with two million cubic metres of sand, and the land would be compacted using vibroflotation. Enhancing Biodiversity Once the island takes shape, the second phase would involve the install