World's First Artificial Energy Island built in the Middle of the Ocean

[@friedlyddw]

0:35 That's a very long 45km. More like 450km

[@pietergreveling]

That's what i wanted to say! 🤣👍🏻✌🏼

[@vlaardingerrr]

The location of the energy island in the North Sea is totally wrong. The island is being built in the Belgium part of the North Sea and not in the Dutch or Norwegian part.

[@BenelliMr]

@@vlaardingerrr yes, but this is only one part of a much larger European project. The UK will certainly be a major customer for buying large shares of the electricity. No demand, no supply

[@joris-rietveld]

The cost of the basic construction is already 600 million and in recent news (3 days ago) they warned the government to stop the project because the total cost could reach 7 billion euros.

[@florh]

well, a nuclear powerplant doing the same amount of power also costs that much and takes longer to build. 3 billion was a way to low estimate anyway. It's still profitable at 7 billion euros, they shouldn't shut it down just because of that.

[@tonygoodchild1730]

Who, exactly, warned the Belgian government to "stop the project"? Because of its large potential inter-country benefits, other EU member states & the UK would surely be interested in collaborating

[@antonievervenne5397]

Large industrial factories consuming lots of energy want this project stopped. As the additional cost of the project will be paid for through an increased energy bill for them (and Belgian households).

[@BenelliMr]

@@antonievervenne5397 it is not a Belgian project; it is an important building block of a much larger European project

[@BenelliMr]

@@tonygoodchild1730 you seem to be the first one who understands the project correctly, despite the naïve video

[@stefanyheller6948]

The video is great, you need to keep promoting your channel. Is not hard.

[@BuildGiant]

Seeing an energy island like this become a reality is mind-blowing! It’s inspiring to see how countries are collaborating on such a large scale to address energy needs sustainably.

[@ririshow]

It is basically the same construction system adopted by Monaco for its Mareterra project ( Anse du Portier ).

[@teghem6723]

This construction system with huge caissons was first used at the Tuas Terminal Phase 1 project (Singapore 2016) with (the same) DEME as a Tier 1 contractor, and it dwarfs the Monaco project.

[@ririshow]

@@teghem6723 Possibly and you hence make my point: this system is not new!

[@teghem6723]

The project in Monaco has been the subject of many reports and has presented the technique as a first. So, it's more than possible and you hence make my point. many KZbin commentators are not that well informed.

[@shahsanahullah952]

Nice video! Love from Belgium!

[@Mac-el6rm]

Awesome! I, an American, had never heard of this project (not surprising, with shitty American media the way it is). This is the kind of investment in our future that the whole world needs, every kind of green technology coming online. I hope they also incorporate some undersea wave tech into the overall plan, since the existence of this kind of island can cause strong currents around it, I assume. And, I know the modules are practical because I watched a video (I think from this same channel) about a tunnel they built from Denmark to Sweden using those massive prefab sections floated into place.

[@timnauwelaers6876]

What an amazing video! You have a new subscriber :)

[@dylanbillion917]

Cool

[@chopracer]

i'm from begium i have never in my life heard from elia lmao

[@ren2704]

nevertheless you give them some money on your monthly electricity bill ;) As we all do...

[@teghem6723]

It is basically the same construction system that was first used at such a scale for the construction of the Tuas Terminal Phase 1 project (Singapore 2016).

[@billygilbert7911]

I live in Washington State in the US. We spent 54+ billion to install light rail. This seem cheap and has a bigger impact.

[@thesimpellife8822]

Yes bud it's a Hugh investment for sutch a small economie the tax payers wil be the victum of this electrisetie is already very expensif . The first assesment whas 2 billion now it's already 7 an the most expansif stuff still hasselt to be build . Gras from bruges belguim

[@BenelliMr]

I don't understand how light rail produces electricity? Wind turbines do

[@AXELVISSERS]

​@@thesimpellife8822 Belgium has 600 billion euros. Not a small economy for little over 10 million inhabitants lol.

[@bui340]

I thought the Danish were first with building energy Ireland

[@BenelliMr]

yes, and more are planned in the North Sea.

[@Patiboke]

Interesting video, the 'slideshow sound' is very annoying though.

[@BenelliMr]

if that is your only problem, you are a very lucky person

[@olisd4512]

Wind farms can help, but the environment part seems to have some heavy green washing

[@jawadad73]

the environmental part is just a lucky coincidence. Birds breed in inaccessable places, fish breed on gravel beds, small fish hide between rocks and big fish come to hunt them, which then attract more birds and sea mamels....its not like the Elia group invented the wheel here...

[@BenelliMr]

@@jawadad73 it is not lucky coincidence; it is based on decades of strategic work; it was not easy to get all engineers and environmentalists on board; so please don't destroy it with ten seconds of bad thinking

[@jawadad73]

@@BenelliMr structures at sea have always attracted marine life nothing to do with engineers or environmentalists...no cookie for Elia..

[@BenelliMr]

@@jawadad73 that's exactly the point: undersea structures for attracting marine life are very cheap, very simple, and will bring a very fast benefit. Only problem =the rule of N+1: N is the number of environmentalists; N+1 is the number of opinions; impossible to get an agreement with them. But considering the very low costs, just build N+1 structures and assess ten years later. Elia is only one of the many players in the North Sea wind project that has the potential to build an equivalent of 100 nuclear plants, to be shared and coordinated by many countries. Cookies: yes, to be shared. maybe they could be excellent cookies, made by the different annual patisserie world champions? I volunteer to come and taste

[@jawadad73]

@@BenelliMr the windfarms already there had nothing much to do with Elia at all for the past 12 years, providing a breeding and nurturing area between the pylons, mainly because the area excludes fisherman... but sure Elia can take credit... at the end the overcost of the project might as well be blamed on the fish not on some 'external expertise' costs or wild CEO bonusses...

[@CaocaoXI]

The tough part of that is maintenance

[@alterego330]

estimated at 2billion €, but whoopsie, its actually gonna be 7 billion, and gues who's pay for it...

[@DSAK55]

You can't build a nuclear plant for 2billion €

[@FloroFlores]

Europe of course

[@elinys2843]

Nope, the question is who’s going to profit from it. It will not be Belgium or the Belgian citizens. Costs for the common man, profits for the happy few. Western capitalism.

[@robinjorisdullers8287]

That's why they officially stopped the project..

[@utube091116]

Katsjing! 4 JdN and Deme 🤑

[@DSAK55]

Why TF can't this be built onshore? Running underwater cables is *A LOT* cheaper than building an island

[@nielsluyten6057]

I think there are 2 major reasons for this, the wind is stronger in at sea so wind turbines produce more energy at sea, and second, Belgium has almost no space left over for big projects like this on land.

[@litz6923]

we here in belguim just don't have the space for a project like this on land, and if we had it is probably cheaper to just build an island.

[@ArnoldvanKampen]

@@nielsluyten6057 It is just a hub, it is not producing any power. It is some sort of relay for AC or DC power lines?

[@Minds-Corrupt]

It's like the project said a hub, you combine all the wind turbines in the hub and can use less cables to get the power to shores

[@titussteenhuisen8864]

Hope it gets build soon

[@BenelliMr]

interesting to hear that Belgium uses British pounds (right in the beginning). No mention how the European Commission (directorate general for energy) has supported these developments for almost 20 years financially, strategically and intellectually. Interesting how my ideas about environmental protection (inspired by brown coal mines in Germany and oil platforms in Norway have survived and evolved; unfortunately no mention about the fact that such the environmental considerations just cost a minimal fraction of the total project, but create a lot of jobs for scientists. interesting to read comments made by persons who don't understand the underlying complexity of manufacturing DC cables and stations . it is a shame that you don't mention that this is just one important building block for a much larger strategy to convert the North Sea into a major electricity hub for Northern Europe: the major electricity consumption regions in Europe are really close: the Ruhrgebiet in Germany, Paris and London greater areas, Antwerp and Rotterdam ports, etc. Look at the energy map of Europe and you understand the importance and complexity of this project: it is in Belgium, but it is not for Belgium: it is for Northern Europe, Norway and UK included. Unfortunately the video doesn't explain this complexity

[@chronosauruss_]

10m of repeating video? lazy ah editor

[@BenelliMr]

but a great project that is urgently needed

[@chronosauruss_]

@@BenelliMr oh nothing against the idea. i am belgian so im glad to hear.

[@bobopopo444]

good for nature 😂

[@RockonSam]

With the weather that happens in the north sea. this will never happen

[@diGritz1]

Princess Elisabeth Island meet Rouge Wave............ Rough Wave -meat- meet your next target.

[@bartneerinck6485]

As proud to be belgian previously working for the concrete sector, i feel so ashame that the concrete caissons are built in Vlissingen (Netherlanths) and not in Belgium, Zeebrugge for example (where we have as much competence and plenty of space in the sea-port which furthermore is much closer to the location, so less CO2 to bring them to location than Vlissingen). In USA or France, they would never let that build by a foreign country. There goes our Pride! :o(

[@BenelliMr]

did you mean EU pride? About 8 EU countries will be part of the much larger project, many more will benefit indirectly: the EU grid is highly interconnected. The video wrongly describes it as a concrete project; however it is an electricity production, interconnection, grid stabilization and business project. BE will be part of all this, not only of stones and concrete. You should not have a proud BE vision, but a much prouder EU vision. And say thank you for the EU money that BE gets for this and many other projects

[@DrMJT]

Your graphics is missing something 'essential'... at 100m distance from the sides, there has to be steel and concrete pillars... Dolphins! IF Dolphins are not installed as the barrier... North Sea Storms will not take long to have a very large cargo or other ship types thrashing into the structure. The water should also be infilled with Rock/Concrete Blocks so that the water, except the passage channel for ingress/egress of the port... the sea bed will be TOO Shallow at a distance of 200 to 250m from the edges. ~~~~~~~~~~~ (water made too shallow for ships ~ to be less than 10m depth at highest king tides) ~o~o~o~o~o~ (shallow water ~ below and surrounding the o dolphins) IF there is no ship guard protection systems... one big evergrand or the bridge that recently collapsed in states... well many have collapsed in states from Barge to Ship STRIKES. All being either Human Error or a Hurricane blowing the ship into the bridge.

[@donalain69]

1:40 60 km DC and 300 km AC? wouldn't there be way less voltage drop it they used 300 km DC / 60 km AC instead? And it seems a bit much of a coincidence they build it 45km off the Belgim coast.. 22km is the distance from the coast that is considered national waters. building an island 45km from the coast extends the distance to 66km and turns 1520 square km of international waters into national territory. But of course Belgim is only interested in clean energy and didn't have any other intentions :)

[@BenelliMr]

and how do you get the cables? Who manufactures that many km of DC cables? Who pays them?

[@hannesd9586]

Is this propaganda piece sponsored by Elia? This does not make sense. 'let's discover the ways this engineering marvel is enhancing bio-diversity'. Yes, please explain how whales love the noise and vibration of those wind turbines. And how birds love getting shredded up by the wings.

[@BenelliMr]

Hannes: my mom always told me to think first, and then to shut up, if possible; this also is valid for writing, especially when you don't know anything about the subject

[@boolieg]

Another mindless case of stepping into projects without having the funds to end it without having to kick the extra charges down the throat of the Belgian Consumers who will again be the Milking cash cows of ENGIE and politicians who will be filling their pockets... As Usual

[@BenelliMr]

such negative and destructive opinions are useless; don't you understand that this is just a hub for a much larger project that is urgently needed?

[@boolieg]

@@BenelliMr urgent yes, economically viable... not in this scenario

[@BenelliMr]

@@boolieg how do you want to know when you don’t know the costs of one single component of the 20 times larger project ? Nor the business case? Nor the actors? Nor the development of the other components of the 20 thousand wind turbines? Nor the problems of the UK electricity grid after Brexit? Nor the strategy of Norway to prepare for the post oil times? First you should study the whole picture before you draw conclusions based on beliefs. Leave that to priests

[@boolieg]

@BenelliMr my Point being is that Belgian govt took on a project way beyond their actual financial means and hopefully get the money back from Belgian population who is already paying way too much for energy and water and fall in the highest European tax brackets, so why would Belgians pay for the lit whilst other parties taking the benefits....

[@franksespool8150]

Put more crap in the ocean, good idea

[@theohess3242]

what a green BS...

[@lambersykris]

a lot of money for expencieve elektricity, give me back a candle light

[@barrygillis]

Dumb comment, its not producing energy its distibuting energy, and it adds capacity to access other ebergy markets, which will make energy more reliable. If it wasnt economically interesting they wouldnt build this. If you like to be off grid with your candle light, please do, and use a mechanical typewriter to whine while you are at it.