October 11, 2024

Taylor Daily Press

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Fluvius wants to pay companies to turn off peak times, energy watchdog demands more clarity |  money

Fluvius wants to pay companies to turn off peak times, energy watchdog demands more clarity | money

To prevent local overloading of its distribution network, Flemish company Fluvius wants to be able to enter into contracts with companies in which it receives compensation if they reduce their production or consumption of electricity during peak hours. This is what the newspaper “De Tijd” wrote on Saturday.

“By encouraging flexibility, for example through a financial advantage, you can operate at a lower cost in some situations,” says Björn Verdot, spokesman for Fluvius. “It allows production, consumption and use of existing networks to be modified more efficiently, or to connect companies to the network more quickly. Moreover, you can postpone or even avoid some investments in new infrastructure. We see these flexible contracts as an additional alternative to investments in new cables and cabins.”

According to the energy watchdog VREG, the proposal developed by Fluvius to enable flexible corporate compensation still contains many uncertainties and conflicts with Flemish legislation on some points.

The grid operator has until the end of October to come up with a new and improved proposal to avoid local overload. But just like Fluvius, VREG also sees a future in a “peak hour avoidance” system.

Fluvius wants to start with pilot projects. The intention is to more broadly compensate companies that contribute flexibly to combating grid overload by the second half of the decade.