Plans for a new interconnector between Belgium and UK
On 23 February 2022, Belgium and the United Kingdom signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly contribute to the decarbonisation and the security of supply of electricity. Belgian Minister of Energy Tinne Van der Straeten and her British colleague Greg Hands did the honours.
At the signing of the agreement, various priorities were put forward: electrical connections for versatile use; offshore wind energy; low-carbon hydrogen; and the capture, reuse and storage of CO2. A new interconnector between Belgium and the UK was also brought up.
Belgium and the United Kingdom have signed a new cooperation agreement to build a second interconnection. The existing electrical interconnector, Nemo-Link, is one of the best performing interconnections in the world. The new link, which would be connected to the energy island, is a hybrid interconnection. This dual function means that power can be exchanged directly between the 2 countries and new wind farms can also be connected to it.
Minister Tinne Van der Straeten
In several other areas, new activities are also initiated in the Belgian North Sea within the scope of the blue economy. For instance, a sea farm is under construction off the coast of Nieuwpoort where Belgian mussels, oysters and seaweed will be grown. And in the port of Zeebrugge, a factory will be built for the production of green hydrogen.
