Five Gigawatt of wind energy projects in Wallonia is waiting for a net connection
© Getty
Almost 5 Gigawatt (GW) for files for wind energy projects awaits the electricity grid in the Walloon Region – the equivalent of five nuclear reactors – L’Echo reports Wednesday, based on figures from the network manager Elia (high voltage) and ORES (distribution network manager).
According to the developers, it is about 5,000 Megawatts (5 GW) of projects that are waiting for the possibility to reserve a connection point in Wallonia. After all, developing wind farms remains an obstacle course: in addition to the many legal professions against projects and an administrative framework that is described by the Federation for Renewable Energy (Edora) as « unstable and especially permit-unfriendly », there is now also the problem that the Walloon Net has been in large parts of the Region.
« That is especially the case in Hainaut and the east of Wallonia. There are connections by Elijah or the GRD often or there are so strict flexibility conditions that the profitability of projects is no longer guaranteed, » says Edora.
In anticipation of a network reinforcement, Elia offers’ flexible connection contracts. They allow them to temporarily disconnect wind turbines when it is just saturated. Elijah, responsible for connections of installations above 25 MW, recognizes the problem. « Today we see that many projects are not being realized, » said spokeswoman Marleen Vanhecke.
Read too. Hardly new wind turbines in Limburg: « Slinger a little too far went towards individual interest »
François Desquesnes, the Walloon minister competent for spatial planning and infrastructure, argues for « less scattered but more powerful wind turbines » to relieve the electricity grid.
