TritonLink
The TritonLink project involves the construction of a hybrid interconnector between Denmark and Belgium.
The Danish government wants to create an energy island in its waters in the North Sea. A total of 4 GW of offshore wind energy will be supplied to Belgium initially. Later, this will gradually be increased to 10 GW.
The hybrid interconnector will have two functions: connecting the grids of both countries and directly connecting offshore wind farms to the Danish and Belgian mainlands. This will improve the integration of renewable energy at sea, facilitate more volatile electricity flows in Europe and further enhance electricity price convergence.
The TritonLink project will contribute to improved socio-economic prosperity for Europe and also to the further decarbonisation of the energy system. For these reasons, the European Commission has decided to recognise this project as a Project of Common Interest (PCI).
TritonLink will have a high value for the Europe in terms of socio-economic welfare and the decarbonisation of the energy system and as such, Elia and Energinet submitted the project for a PCI-label in 2022 .
World’s first long-distance hybrid interconnector that links two energy islands
The TritonLink project is the first step towards the creation of an interconnected offshore grid in the North Sea. The hybrid interconnector will transport offshore wind energy to the mainland via two artificial energy islands.
The project covers a total distance of almost 1,000 kilometres, extending from the Danish onshore HVDC converter, via two energy islands, to the onshore HVDC converter in Belgium. The TritonLink project is a technological feat that will put Elia Group (Belgium), Energinet (Denmark) and all the other companies involved on the map as pioneers in innovation. The expertise we gain from the construction of the island will help us implement future sustainable offshore energy projects.
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In the interest of societyThe TritonLink project has significant advantages for Europe. Its implementation will contribute to:
- The integration of offshore wind energy in the European power system: the European Green Deal aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The object is to achieve this by increasing the continent’s offshore wind capacity. In response to the challenges and global energy market disruption caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the European Commission presented the REPowerEU Plan. It hopes this will accelerate the clean energy transition and reduce Europe’s energy reliance on unreliable suppliers and volatile fossil fuels. The TritonLink project will give Belgium, Denmark and Europe direct access to the large volume of renewable energy they need to decarbonise their energy-intensive industries and meet European climate targets;
- Safeguarding security of supply for Belgium and Denmark: the TritonLink project will result in the creation of a direct link between the transmission systems of two countries, which are not currently connected. The big advantage of this connection will be the decorrelation between Belgian and Danish offshore wind energy. So, in situations where the interconnector has transmission capacity left after transporting offshore wind energy, the remaining capacity can be used to exchange electricity between both countries. Denmark and Belgium will then both benefit from maximum use of the available infrastructure;
- Improvement of the European market: the development of hybrid interconnectors like the TritonLink will make it possible to align supply and demand better. It will enhance market exchange capacity and lower costs. This will have a positive effect on energy prices and, ultimately, on socio-economic prosperity in Europe.
- The integration of offshore wind energy in the European power system: the European Green Deal aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The object is to achieve this by increasing the continent’s offshore wind capacity. In response to the challenges and global energy market disruption caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the European Commission presented the REPowerEU Plan. It hopes this will accelerate the clean energy transition and reduce Europe’s energy reliance on unreliable suppliers and volatile fossil fuels. The TritonLink project will give Belgium, Denmark and Europe direct access to the large volume of renewable energy they need to decarbonise their energy-intensive industries and meet European climate targets;
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PlanningIn recent years, Elia and Energinet have focused on conducting technical and techno-economic studies and research projects based on the Memorandum of Agreement between the Belgian and Danish ministries of Energy and the Cooperation Agreement between Elia and Energinet.
The project is part of the Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) 2022 and the TYNDP2024. The project has also had the PCI label since the beginning of 2024. Added to this, a grant application is pending with the European Commission to fund further research in the context of the CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) programme.
Elia and Energinet are aiming to commission the hybrid interconnector in 2036.
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