Building on the conclusions of the expert group commissioned earlier this year, the Government is focusing its action on two priorities: removing regulatory obstacles and accelerating the rollout of concrete solutions on the ground. This marks a new step in its strategy to increase access to the grid across the territory.
Requests for connection to the electricity grid are multiplying everywhere in Wallonia. In several areas, the currently available capacities no longer allow all requests to be met immediately.
While network operators continue major investment plans to strengthen infrastructure, these projects will take several years before producing their full effect. That is why the Walloon Government has swiftly activated all levers to increase capacity. Beyond the introduction of flexible connection contracts, an expert group was in particular tasked with identifying the most relevant technical solutions and analysing the conditions for their deployment.
These include:
- the development of local production means, possibly coupled with batteries, to reduce power demand peaks;
- the use of commercial flexibility mechanisms, allowing market players to adjust their consumption or production to help manage grid constraints, some of which are currently the subject of pilot projects;
- the connection of third parties to Infrabel's railway traction network, where capacity is available, which requires clarifying the technical, regulatory and organisational conditions for such connections;
- targeted network optimisations, such as adjusting voltage levels on certain sections, which will need to be assessed case by case with grid operators.
The use of closed professional networks, direct lines and energy communities, whose potential remains partly untapped today due to regulatory or administrative constraints, is also among the solutions being examined by the cabinet. The issue of contractual capacity sharing is also under consideration. This mechanism allows capacity to be pooled when several users have complementary consumption profiles. Rather than each reserving power separately, large consumers share a collective envelope, which they distribute freely among themselves.
Some solutions require regulatory or tariff adjustments. Others can be implemented without delay, provided the various stakeholders concerned are brought together around solutions adapted to local realities.
Fully committed on this issue, the Government has taken note of these conclusions and, this Thursday, launched a new working phase now focused on their implementation.
Several regulatory changes will be pursued, such as the development of flexibility mechanisms for which a preliminary draft decree was recently adopted at 1st reading, or launched.
In parallel, several electrical substations, currently being defined, will receive specific support to implement the chosen solutions.
Finally, to ensure ongoing monitoring of the work and speed up its implementation, these user groups will now be integrated into a new exchange platform: the “Energy Forum”. This Forum will structure dialogue between public and private stakeholders on issues related to access to power capacity. A first meeting is scheduled for September.
Cécile Neven, Minister for Energy: “The experts' conclusions demonstrate one essential thing: there is no miracle solution, but rather a combination of levers that can together unlock new capacity on our grid. Some responses are ready to be deployed, others still require regulatory adjustments. Our responsibility is to keep removing obstacles and mobilise every available tool. Every connection we manage to unblock is an investment that can go ahead, a business that can grow and jobs that can be created, here in Wallonia. Strengthening the grid remains essential and continues, but we must mobilise every concrete solution to act starting today.”