First Annual Belgian Energy Transition Workshop: Towards an underground, HVDC based power system of the future

The transition to a clean and renewable energy supply will be accompanied by a much larger share of electricity in our energy mix (up to more than 80%). The electrification of transport (think of electric vehicles), heat supply (think of heat pumps) and industrial processes will therefore increase our electricity consumption significantly. By 2050, electricity consumption in Belgium is expected to more than double compared to today.

More electricity requires a massive rollout of renewable energy, such as solar energy, onshore wind energy but especially offshore wind energy. The electricity generated must be transported to end users at home and abroad. As a result, new high-voltage connections in Belgium are essential to successfully transport the generated electricity to people’s homes at home and abroad.

From a societal perspective, new above-ground high-voltage lines are not always supported in a densely populated area such as Flanders. All hope is therefore pinned on underground high-voltage lines, but these are much more expensive and technically not (yet) always possible. To accelerate the rollout of underground high-voltage connections and their integration into existing grids, EnergyVille, with the support of the Flemish government, has established Etch, the Energy Transmission Competence Hub.