As Belgium\u2019s electricity grid(s), at least in certain areas, approaches saturation and grid reinforcements to meet increasing electrification, lags, flexible connections are envisaged as one potential solution. The latest electricity market design reform enshrined a (more) solid legal basis for the development of such connections and several regulatory frameworks are in the process of being developed and\/or rolled out. In April, a framework for flexible connections to the (federal) transmission grid was adopted and in Flanders, a bill setting up a framework governing the distribution and local transmission grid is advancing through the legislative pipeline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flexible connections may offer a means to escape downright refusals of applicants who aspire to a connection in areas (expected to be) heavily impacted by structural congestion. Nonetheless, these connections also bring significant operational and strategic challenges. Accordingly, these developments represent lifeline, which should only be used with due caution:<\/strong> understanding the (evolving, and sometimes un(der)determined regulatory framework will be key to leveraging new opportunities while mitigating risks in an increasingly electrified and capacity-constrained market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Against this backdrop, businesses will need to assess how these evolving regimes may affect project planning, compliance, and contractual risk allocation, taking into account quite a few \u2018known unknowns\u2019, at least at this point in time. Whereas the legal framework is still further being developed and rolled out, this article already highlights three key takeaways<\/strong> to help companies prepare for and respond effectively to this important legal development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belgium\u2019s electricity grids are facing ever-increasing structural congestion, especially in some bottleneck areas. Amongst a range of potential (short-term) solutions, flexible connection arrangements may help minimize the occurrence of downright connection request refusals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The downside of such arrangements is that \u201cflexibility\u201d must be accepted, meaning that, on certain occasions, offtake\/inject may be curtailed to address structural congestion issues on (nearby) critical grid elements. Especially for offtake, but also for BESS projects, such curtailment may have a significant impact on how a business case is conceived of or structured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be able to fully assess the impact of flexible connections on projects and business operations, at present, some key information\/regulation is missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though, on the one hand, a basic regulatory framework (for flexible connections to the (federal) Elia grid) has been adopted by the CREG in April 2025, the framework requires further implementation to fully assess its impact. For instance, no decisions have been taken yet regarding how the use of flexibility beyond the (legal\/contractual) parameters will precisely be compensated. Moreover, a shared concern by stakeholders is that the currently available information shared on the (scope of) flexibility lacks sufficient granularity to precisely assess its (business) impact, especially on projects whose (relative) downtime options are limited or require a intricate approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, in Flanders, a new flexibility bill is going through the legislative pipeline. Though this framework seems \u2013 in some respects \u2013 slightly more \u2018grid-user\u2019-friendly, the bill has not yet been adopted, will require further implementation and may facilitate far-reaching measures, such as a prioritization framework (replacing or heavily adapting the first-come, first-served logic currently underpinning the connection process). Whilst awaiting its implementation, two temporary products (i.e. Fluvius and Elia \u2018Fall-back-flex\u2019) have been approved by the Flemish Regulator, which may offer short-term solutions to (otherwise blocked or stalled) connection requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A key prerequisite for many future projects and businesses is a reliable power supply and the future grid may fail to deliver (entirely) on this need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An early identification of risks (e.g.<\/em> through consulting capacity or congestion maps, which are (being) made available), alongside an in-depth understanding of the \u2013 for now, admittedly, incomplete \u2013 regulatory framework, may provide companies developing projects with competitive advantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, early monitoring and detection of potential issues can also facilitate a timely consideration of either alternative (electricity) sourcing, or reliance on the derogatory options that the regulatory framework provides. For instance, the CREG has left room for \u2018regulatory sandboxing\u2019 in terms of transmission grid connections that may not be able to meet the (strict) requirements of (real-time) flexibility associated with (federal) flexible grid connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though not every company will have the capacity to participate in the (ongoing) discussions\/consultations on the further implementation of these regulatory frameworks and though a considerable amount of uncertainty remains, under certain conditions, flexible connections can indeed offer a lifeline to certain projects, but should only be agreed upon with due knowledge of the risks (and uncertainties) that are inherent to them. Understanding these risks and anticipating them in structuring your project\/business case will become a key driver to successful project development for many new projects indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Authors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stef Feyen<\/a>, Jens Mosselmans<\/a>, Mathijs Van Haver<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As Belgium\u2019s electricity grid(s), at least in certain areas, approaches saturation and grid reinforcements to meet increasing electrification, lags, flexible connections are envisaged as one potential solution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-partnerblog-fr"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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