Negotiations with the French energy company Engie, which operates nuclear power plants in our country through Electrabel, must be completed before September. Energy Minister Tine van der Straiten (Green) explained this on Saturday in “De Morgen” on Radio 1.
Negotiations with Engy on terms for extending Doel 4 and Tihange 3, which the government decided in March to keep open for another 10 years, are in full swing.
The minister admitted that the talks are difficult, but “also difficult.” She is confident that a solution will be found before September. “We are doomed to each other in a positive way. Engy has always been a partner in ensuring supplies.”
Van der Straeten also points to the need for a quick decision by the Flemish government in the Ventilus file, about a new high voltage line in West Flanders that should bring offshore wind power to shore. This is necessary to ensure the security of the electricity supply. “Consensus is needed on the price. The government must be able to land.” Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon (North – Virginia) said about the file on Saturday†
According to experts, the new high voltage lines should be above ground, but this was met with protest from the municipalities of the Flemish West. The Minister of Energy stated that “compensation policy is an integral part of energy policy.” It seems that procrastination is not an option. “We need to speed up the energy transition, not slow it down. Postponing the decision could jeopardize the security of supply.”
The realization of the Ventilus system ensures that cheap wind energy reaches our families and businesses. This is good for Fleming’s wallet and bad for Putin, because in this way we will get rid of Russian gas. This is why it is essential for the Flemish government to find a quick solution to Ventilus. “At the same time, it is necessary to take a decision to stop the intolerable uncertainty for the local population,” the minister explained. Moreover, “of course infrastructure cannot be the bottleneck and the transition is slowing down that much,” she says, referring to environmental ambitions at the federal level.
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