WWII sea mines to be removed for Belgian energy island project

The Belgian army’s bomb disposal unit DOVO and electricity grid operator Elia Group will start removing twelve German sea mines from the North Sea on Monday. The mines date from World War II and were found during surveys for the construction of the Princess Elisabeth Island.

The mines pose a risk to upcoming work, including the installation of power cables on the seabed. These cables will carry renewable electricity from offshore wind farms to the Belgian coast.

According to Elia, removing the explosives will be a complex operation both at sea and on land. Once recovered, the mines will be transported to the beach of Wenduine. There, specialists will examine them before safely neutralising or detonating them.

During the operation, a 500-metre safety zone will be set up on the beach and nearby dunes. Some temporary disruption to traffic and the coastal tram may occur. The work is expected to finish before the summer.

The mines were identified as “Küten-mine A”, a German coastal mine designed to stop Allied ships during World War II. Each mine is a rectangular concrete block containing about 50 kg of hexanite explosive.

The planned energy island, about 45 kilometres off the Belgian coast, will collect electricity from offshore wind farms and send it to the mainland. Installation of the island’s large concrete structures began last year.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Preparatory work for cable route of Princess Elisabeth Island on the beach in Zeebrugge © BELGA PHOTO MAAIKE TIJSSENS}