Faced with rapidly growing electricity demand, Belgium must strengthen its grid to guarantee access to reliable and affordable energy. Federal Minister of Energy Mathieu Bihet detailed this week in SudInfo the concrete measures he is implementing to avoid congestion, support our businesses and protect citizens' purchasing power.
Belgium is entering a new era, that of the massive electrification of usage. Between the development of economic zones, the growing number of electric cars, the rise of data centres and the modernisation of our industries, our country has never needed so much electrical power. And this trend will intensify: from 80 TWh consumed today to nearly 200 TWh by 2050.
For the Mouvement Réformateur, the challenge is to address this issue with seriousness and ambition in order to preserve the affordability of electricity while supporting the country's economic momentum. This is the resolute direction of the Minister of Energy's action.
A reality: grid congestion is slowing down our projects
In recent months, several businesses and public bodies have sounded the alarm, as access to electrical power is no longer guaranteed everywhere. Whether for the Van der Valk hotel in Libin or the new Cahottes business zone in Flémalle, certain projects are being delayed due to insufficient grid capacity.
The cause: a surge in connection requests, saturated waiting lists, and reserved power for projects that no longer exist! For Minister Bihet, this issue is not inevitable but a call to act swiftly and pragmatically.
Three lines of action to free up power
In light of these findings, some measures have already been taken, and others are close to being finalised. “Our grid must remain an engine of development, not an obstacle for businesses that want to grow and invest,” explains Mathieu Bihet.
- Making usage and connections more flexible
Today, many operators reserve power that they only partially use. By modulating this, capacity is freed up without affecting activity.
- Clearing the waiting list
Abandoned projects are still blocking electrical capacity, in some cases for years. This absurd situation must end. The Minister is proposing a clear method to urgently free up these resources.
- Revising the “first come, first served” principle
It is necessary to launch a debate on the allocation of available power. Capacity reservations on the grid must be granted based on objective criteria.
The goal is to remove administrative and technical bottlenecks so that energy does not become a brake on development.
Top priority: strengthening our grid
For a country that wants to grow socially and economically, electricity must remain available and competitive. That is why Minister Bihet is making grid reinforcement the strategic priority for the coming years. The “Boucle du Hainaut”, for example, is essential to accommodate energy produced in the North Sea. It is a structuring project, beneficial for both families and businesses.
As you can see, the aim is to guarantee investment capacity, reduce bottlenecks and create a clear framework enabling the economy to grow without being held back by infrastructure.
An inter-ministerial energy conference will also be launched shortly to develop strategic guidelines and set a clear framework agreed with the regions.
Driven by a clear and confident vision, Mathieu Bihet's action is putting Belgium back in motion and sustainably preparing the electrification of our country. The goal: to guarantee everyone reliable and affordable energy while giving our economy the momentum it needs.