Source: brusselstimes.com
Flemish grid operator Fluvius will invest at least €4 billion into strengthening its electricity grid, paving the way for greater use of electric vehicles and renewable energy, according to Flemish newspaper De Staandard.
The grid operator is preparing for the impact of the green transition. By 2030, Fluvius expects that there will be 1.5 million electric cars on the road. It also predicts that 20% of all new trucks will run on electricity.
Ambitious targets. In 2020, only 23,983 electric passenger vehicles were in operation on Belgian roads. This massive jump would entail a 52 times increase in the course of less than eight years. All these vehicles will require charging points, and most importantly, greater deliveries of green electricity.
Modernise Flanders’ ageing infrastructure
Belgium’s grid is already struggling to adapt to green technologies. In Limburg, there are increasingly more issues with solar panel inverters, which fail often due to mismatched voltages on the grid.
To address these challenges, Fluvius has drawn up an action plan to modernise Flanders’ ageing infrastructure, taking into account future developments intending to scrap tax incentives for fossil fuel powered vehicles.
According to De Staandard, between 2022 and 2032, Fluvius plans to remove 40% of low voltage underground cables and pylons. 30,000 kilometres of new cables will need to be laid. 750,000 electricity connections to Flemish homes will also have to be changed.
