Over 100 companies in Flanders will not be connected to the power grid in the coming year because it is already overloaded. One company in Nazareth (East Flanders) is even being forced to switch to diesel generators as a result. Hundreds of others will still receive power, but not always as much as they want. Employers' organisation Voka argues that projects with economic and social added value should be given priority.
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At least 100 businesses in Flanders not being connected to the electricity grid due to lack of capacity
Colin Clapson
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According to employers' organisation Voka, more than a hundred companies are on the waiting list for a connection, and the network is becoming increasingly saturated. To be clear, the problem only affects applications for high demand connections, i.e. businesses, not households.
“The situation is getting worse month by month,” says Voka CEO Frank Beckx. “If we don't take action, we will end up in a situation similar to that in the Netherlands. There, we see that the map is completely red, and more than 12,000 companies are actually on the waiting list and have to wait for years, sometimes as long as 10 years. That is, of course, a disaster for the economy.”
First come, first served
Currently, network operators Elia (responsible for the high voltage network) and Fluvius (responsible for medium and low voltage) apply the principle they are legally obliged to apply: first come, first served. Whoever submits an application first, gets a connection, even if they do not use it fully, or will only use it at a later stage, or do not use it at all. Voka wants to change this.
“We need to look at which projects are ready to be effectively connected,” says Beckx. “And we also need to look at the economic and social impact of a project: employment, added value, that will have to become a criterion.”
Elia and Fluvius are, of course, aware of the problem. Both companies will be investing billions in strengthening the network in the coming years, both the high-voltage grid (Elia) and the distribution grid (Fluvius).
They are also strengthening interconnection points, the installations that connect the high-voltage and distribution grids. At present, there is a risk of problems due to overload at 16 of the 235 points.
The Flemish Parliament’s Energy Committee is holding a hearing on this issue today, together with all the players involved.