Flanders is the good student of the REPowerEU package, shows Belgian senator
The European Commission published in May this year the REPowerEU package proposing measures to reduce the EU's dependence on Russian energy imports by 2027 and accelerate the green transition of the block.
The Flemish-European liaison agency (VLEVA) and Flanders Environment and Nature Council (Minaraad) organized this week a webinar to give Flemish stakeholders an update on the priorities of the European energy, climate and environmental files and to analyse REPowerEU package features in Flanders.
“Everything that is happening right now is mainly geopolitical and what we can do about it is to ensure that we are less dependent,” pointed out Andries Gryffroy, First Vice President of the Belgian Senate, invited to talk about REPowerEU in Flanders.
He is also member of the Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) in the European Committee of the Regions and member of N-VA, the leading party in the Flemish government.
In his webinar presentation, Gryffroy remarked that the Flemish strategy was “well written” and most sections achieved a high score. Flanders displays good grades regarding fossil fuel energy source phase out, where measures in place were evaluated as "ambitious", being carbon emission limits the only bad grade, since "no formal measures" exist for the moment.
"Every region has a DNA and I want to do things where we can be much stronger," he said. "For example, when we talk about our unique location in Antwerp, I think we can use innovation even more to make it more energy efficient”.
The senator highlighted that Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), a European not-for-profit think-tank, placed the Flemish strategy in second place, together with Finland, and Spain in first.
“Flanders has created an effective ‘glide path’ for gradually tightening new-building standards over the course of roughly 10 years. New-build energy performance requirements in Flanders today are among the most ambitious in the EU, particularly for residential dwellings,” says BPIE’s report.
Gryffroy presented that the ratio of solar energy use per resident in Flanders is relatively high and it got the third place in the EU, after Germany and Netherlands. Besides, “despite the limited area”, Flanders is in the top 5 for wind capacity, coming in fourth place, only behind Germany, Netherlands and Denmark.
In a nutshell, the Belgian region is already "accelerating clean energy transition, saving energy and diversifying energy sources".
EU measures
Robert Nuij, Deputy Head at European’s Commission DG Energy, explained how current REPowerEU measures in the block are divided in time frames of short and middle term. Short-term measures includes replenishing the gas supply to 80% by November 1 this year; EU coordinated demand reduction plans in the event of gas supply disruptions; joint purchases of gas, liquefying natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen through the EU Energy Platform for all Member States wishing to participate, and also for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia and the Western Balkans; besides new energy partnerships with reliable suppliers, including future collaboration on renewable energy and low-carbon gases.
The European Commission also expects recommendations for citizens and businesses to save around 13 billion m3 of imported gas; a rapid roll-out of solar and wind energy projects (in combination with the use of renewable hydrogen), saving approximately 50 billion m3 of imported gas; an increase in biomethane production, saving 17 billion m3 of imported gas and approval of the first EU-wide hydrogen projects by this summer.
(VIV)
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© BELGA PHOTO (JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE) Solar panels park installed in Beveren, Antwerp port