Electric vehicles, heat pumps, photovoltaic panels... Electricity is playing an increasingly important role in meeting our needs today and in the future. Is the Brussels grid capable of keeping step with this trend?
Investing in the network is essential if we are to face the energy challenges of the future. But the energy transition will only be successful if everyone makes an active contribution.
Citizens and businesses, too, must use energy responsibly in order to ensure the transition is affordable for all.
Prevention is better than cure
Although the Brussels electricity network currently has adequate capacity for our electricity needs, we can’t afford to lower our guard.
While the grid has adequate reserve capacity for the years ahead, we cannot underestimate the importance of forward planning.
Sibelga is already anticipating longer-term needs in order to guarantee grid stability in the face of future developments.
Beware of the risk of congestion
Energy transition implies a significant increase in the use of electric vehicles, heat pumps and solar panels, and requires increased electrification.
However, at the outset, our network wasn’t designed for these new uses. Managing energy responsibly involves an in-depth adaptation of our infrastructure. It is therefore necessary to make major investments and reduce pressure on the grid to ensure a smooth transition.
Compared with Flanders or Wallonia, Brussels’s limited number of photovoltaic panels reduces the immediate risk of grid congestion. However, we cannot underestimate the potential danger facing our neighbours in Wallonia and Flanders.
A proactive and diversified approach
We know that change is inevitable and that it's essential to stay ahead of market developments. By diversifying our strategies and adopting innovative solutions, we aim to build a resilient energy system.
- We are working tirelessly to improve and strengthen existing infrastructures in order to manage fluctuations in supply and demand.
- We encourage the adoption of smart meters so that we can better understand energy flows and develop our network efficiently.
- We are introducing pricing policies designed to promote responsible use of the electricity network, such as dynamic rates or a flat rate contribution to finance the network’s development.
An ambitious investment plan
Between 2025 and 2029, more than €500 million will be invested in developing the electricity network. Our plans include:
- laying 253 km of high-voltage cables and 509 km of low-voltage cables;
- building 125 network cabins and 187 transformers;
- replacing 485 high-voltage switchboards and 1,034 low-voltage switchboards;
- installing 372,000 smart meters;
- laying 30 km of optical fibre.
With this momentum towards the future, Sibelga embodies the idea that every euro invested today is a further step on the road to a successful energy transition.
We all have a role to play in making a change
Since the invention of electricity, we've become used to seeing it as a bottomless resource that's available anywhere, any time. However, this consumption model is no longer viable in today's world.
Growing electrification requires not only robust infrastructure but also more rational consumption. Investing in sustainable technology is vital, but this must also be accompanied by the responsible use of the electricity network.
By adapting our behaviour, we can help to alleviate the pressure on the electricity grid. For example, by not charging our electric car at peak times or by consuming energy when we generate it.
This means that everyone has a key role to play in this transformation. Showing solidarity is an important step towards a sustainable and inclusive energy future.
Carbon neutrality by 2050
Sibelga has a duty to anticipate the changing energy uses of customers in Brussels. We also want to facilitate an affordable and inclusive energy transition in the Brussels-Capital Region and support the ambitions of the Region's Air-Climate-Energy Plan.
This is why, in collaboration with all the Brussels stakeholders, we have started to put together various scenarios to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Whether in terms of:
- mobility (through the deployment of public charging points for example);
- heating (via heat pumps and heat networks in particular);
- renewable energy (photovoltaic panels, renewable gases such as green hydrogen and biomethane)
- or storage.
In all cases, together with the regulator Brugel, Sibelga will ensure that it chooses solutions that are accessible to all customers in Brussels, while maintaining the reliability and safety of the energy distribution system.