Port of Antwerp receives more power as final BRABO 3 pylon is installed
Grid operator Elia completed a major milestone in its BRABO 3 high-voltage project on Monday with the installation of pylon number 58. This is the final step in the construction of the new grid segment, which is expected to be operational by early 2026. Once complete, the network will significantly boost power capacity for the Port of Antwerp’s growing industrial needs.
Elia has been working on the project since 2016. The 300 million euro investment is being rolled out in three phases: BRABO 1 reinforced the grid between Doel and Zandvliet, while BRABO 2 added new cable connections near Liefkenshoek.
The final phase, BRABO 3, which will link Liefkenshoek and Kruibeke, began in 2023. To prepare the route, underground lines were laid first so the existing 18km overhead line could be dismantled and rebuilt.
© BELGA VIDEO ROBBE VANDEGEHUCHTE
"This reinforcement is necessary because the demand for electricity in the port will double over the next 10 years," Elia says. The new pylons will also improve connections with the Netherlands.
The BRABO project is set for completion next year, amid rising energy demands. Electrification in the Port of Antwerp alone is expected to account for half of the projected increase in electricity consumption across the region.
With BRABO nearing completion, Elia CEO Frédéric Dumon is now turning his attention to the long-awaited Ventilus project, which brings power from offshore wind farms to inland areas and strengthens the grid in West Flanders.
"We really want to get started on this now," says Dumon. "Ventilus is the missing link in our high-voltage grid."
#FlandersNewsService | The final phase of the Elia Brabo 3 project in Beveren, 14 July 2025 © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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