Archive image: Fluxys is building a hydrogen pipeline. — © BELGA
Fluxys hydrogen will be allowed to manage the hydrogen network in our country for the next 20 years. Without any accidents, the Council of Ministers will give the green light for this on Friday. Belgium becomes the first country in Europe to appoint an operator for this purpose.
Source: BELGA
Today at 6:35 am
The federal government already approved a hydrogen strategy this legislature. This text underlines the ambition to strengthen our country’s position as an import and transit hub of renewable hydrogen. Last year, parliament approved the law regulating the transport of hydrogen.
The law also provided for a hydrogen network operator (HNO) to develop a network of pipelines throughout Belgium, analogous to Elia’s electricity transmission networks and Fluxys’ natural gas transmission network. Following positive advice from the CREG and the FPS Economy, the Council of Ministers would normally appoint Fluxys hydrogen on Friday for a period of 20 years.
“After the very first hydrogen law, Belgium is once again taking the lead by being the first country in the world to appoint one hydrogen network operator,” says Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Green). “Fluxys has many years of experience in managing the gas infrastructure, but now Fluxys Hydrogen has been tasked with planning, developing and managing the hydrogen network, an assignment that is essential for the energy transition.”
The hydrogen network is necessary to connect the industrial clusters in our country and at the same time ensure interconnections with neighboring countries. The preparatory works for the first phase have already started, with the aim of having a total of 150 kilometers of pipeline between the industrial clusters of Ghent, Antwerp and Liège by 2026, with connections to the Netherlands and Germany. To achieve this objective, Fluxys has received a subsidy of 95 million euros in the context of the European Recovery Plan.