On September 30, 2020, the political parties forming the Belgian federal government concluded an agreement aimed at ensuring the transition to a sustainable and resilient economy. To achieve this, the focus would be placed on investments in the following areas:
1) improving the energy efficiency of (private) buildings,
2) developing significant infrastructure for electric flexibility and enhanced storage,
3) investing in renewable energy sources.
The Flemish government also recently adopted a new Energy and Climate plan. This plan aims to achieve energy savings of 91.845 TWh, and an increase in renewable energy capacity to 31,974 TWh.
Pursuant thereto, a new wind energy plan – Wind Power 2025 – has also been adopted by the Flemish government. This plan aims to increase the installed capacity of onshore wind energy power to 2.5 GW by 2030. It is a response to the failure of the previous Wind Power Plan to meet its targets. The new plan will focus on the following aspects: repowering (i.e. renewing wind turbines to maximise output), reviewing the licensing framework for wind turbines and the follow-up on the rentability of new projects after 2025.
In Wallonia, a new regulation (No. 2022/2577) was issued to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy. The Regulation sets out several conditions and formal requirements on how an application for a permit for a new wind farm should be made:
- For wind farms with a production under 0.1 MW, the permit application is governed by the Spatial Development Code and the Heritage Code.
- For wind farms with a production between 0.1 and 0.5 MW, an application for planning permission must be submitted to the local authority.
- For wind farms with a production over 0.5 MW, there is a unique permit application. For wind farms generating over 3 MW, an additional, unique requirement comes into play. A preliminary information meeting will be conducted to assess project feasibility and identify potential issues. Following this meeting, an impact assessment will be conducted.
With regard to the operation of an onshore wind farm, the Walloon Government issued a sectoral decree on 25 February 2021, which entered into force on 27 April 2021. This decree contains various conditions concerning maintenance, control, safety, lighting, etc.
A new "Pax Eolienica" was adopted on 25 October 2022, following approval by the Walloon government. This updated version includes 17 measures, including revisions to the permit issuance framework for new wind farm installations, aligning it with European Commission recommendations. The industry's production target for 2030 has been increased to around 6,200 GWh per year, up from the previous 4.600 GWh target. Additionally, the 2013 reference framework will be revised to better reflect current and more efficient technologies. A notable aspect of the updated framework is the introduction of a mandatory opportunity for citizen and municipal participation in the projects, which each group having up to a to 25% stake.
On October 28, 2021, the Brussels government issued a ministerial decree to partially implement Directive 2018/2001, which promotes the use of renewable energy sources. The most significant change introduced by this decree was the updated regulation concerning green certificates (GCs). Producers of green electricity receive GCs for their production. Suppliers of green electricity are obliged to purchase a certain number of GCs from these producers. Supply and demand for GCs meet on the market and result in a market price. The grid operator, Elia, is required to purchase GCs at a guaranteed minimum price of EUR 65. However, the market price of GCs in Brussels is currently higher than the guaranteed minimum price- around EUR 81 in 2023.
Also as far as the Brussels Region is concerned, a new climate plan was adopted in 2019: the “Energy Climate Plan 2030” to align with European commitments under the Clean Energy Package for all Europeans. This plan succeeds the 2016 Air-Climate Energy Plan and builds upon its core elements. The new target for 2030 is to generate 470 GWh from renewable sources, a significant increase from the previous goal of 330 GWh by 2020. To achieve this goal, the Brussels government has launched several ambitious projects such as SolarClick and NRclick. These programmes were evaluated in 2021 and adjusted in consequence. Finally, the Brussels government has also committed to investing in renewable energy outside its territory, which would generate an additional capacity of 700 GWh. As part of the above objectives, the Brussels Region is considering legislative measures to better promote renewable energy. For example, the region will examine the modification of the regional operating rules of the electricity market to encourage the development of collective projects and better use of local renewable electricity production in an area (with the use -subject to fair remuneration- of the distribution grid).
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