GALILEO – Unlocking flexibility for a more competitive Belgian industry
GALILEO aims to accelerate industrial decarbonisation, electrification, and flexibility to support a more resilient and cost-efficient energy system. Industrial flexibility helps reduce grid investments and balance supply and demand.
GALILEO is a major Belgian demonstration project, funded by the Energy Transition Fund, bringing together nine partners with both academic and industrial expertise. Coordinated by EnergyVille partner VITO, the project equally includes EnergyVille partner KU Leuven, as well as ELIA, ENTRAS, Nyrstar, Tessenderlo Group, Aperam Stainless Steel Belgium, Tiense Suikerrafinaderij, and LCL Data Centers. It will run for 30 months.
Strengthening the grid with industrial flexibility
The energy transition is evolving rapidly, presenting both challenges and opportunities for the electricity grid and industries. As the share of renewable energy sources grows and electrification continues to expand, the need for a more flexible grid becomes critical to maintaining a stable and secure energy system.
Industrial flexibility is recognised as a cornerstone of this transition, providing long-term capacity to ensure security of supply and short-term options to balance the grid. However, realising the full potential of industrial flexibility is hampered by various technical, economic, social, and regulatory barriers.
In addition, industries are under increasing pressure from rising energy procurement costs and the investments required for decarbonisation and electrification. GALILEO aims to address these challenges by focusing on the following key objectives:
- Exploring the potential of industrial flexibility: Refining scenarios to understand how industrial flexibility can improve the Belgian energy system.
- Overcoming barriers: Proposing solutions to adapt current market designs and facilitate the provision of flexibility.
- Innovating energy procurement: Exploring new financial instruments and advanced hedging strategies.
- Supporting robust business cases: Helping industry players maximise the value of their flexibility potential through advanced assessments, scenario building, and market valorisation strategies.
Real-world demonstration cases
To ensure real-world impact, GALILEO integrates academic models with data from five major industrial demonstration cases, representing different energy-intensive sectors:
| Company | Industrial Sector |
| Aperam Stainless Steel Belgium | Steel |
| Nyrstar | Metallurgy |
| Tessenderlo Group | Chemical, Food, Agriculture, Metallurgy, etc. |
| Tiense Suikerraffinaderij | Food |
| LCL Data Centers | Data Centers |
These demonstration cases will help shape practical insights and guide industry players towards more sustainable and flexible energy solutions.
Shaping the future of industrial flexibility in Belgium
Throughout the project, GALILEO will engage with key Belgian stakeholders through a series of interactive workshops. These sessions will include representatives from different industrial sectors, with the aim of facilitating discussions on the findings and supporting the creation of a comprehensive roadmap for industrial flexibility in Belgium.
As coordinating partner, VITO is excited to lead this innovative project that not only strengthens Belgium’s position in the energy transition but also sets a precedent for industrial decarbonisation and electrification across Europe.
VITO, within the EnergyVille research line Energy Strategies and Markets, builds on advanced research to optimise the energy system in both the short and long term. Policymakers and companies can leverage our models, algorithms, and PATHS 2050 scenarios to map out cost-efficient pathways toward a sustainable energy future—one that is based on renewable energy and aligned with climate goals and energy policies.
Mark your agenda!
Join us at the European Industrial Energy Days in Amsterdam for an interactive workshop on unlocking industrial flexibility. Using real cases from energy-intensive industries, we’ll explore how electrification and flexibility can drive sustainable energy solutions.
Through expert insights and hands-on discussions, we’ll address key questions:
- What are the main barriers—technical, operational, economic, social, and regulatory—that hamper industrial flexibility?
- Which technical, market, and financial innovations can help overcome them?
- How can sector coupling accelerate the transition?
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical takeaways and connect with industry leaders shaping the future of energy.
Practical
Date 13/03/2025
Location Amsterdam
The role of the EnergyVille partners
EnergyVille partner VITO coordinates the project and, together with KU Leuven, assesses Belgium’s industrial flexibility potential for 2030 and 2050, feeding results into national energy scenarios.
VITO will map barriers to industrial flexibility through research, surveys, and GALILEO case studies, working with industry to propose solutions. Teaming up with KU Leuven, VITO will also develop methodologies and tools to help industries optimize procurement and hedging strategies, leveraging European financial instruments like PPAs and CFDs.
Additionally, VITO will design tools for optimal bidding strategies to maximize value stacking and explore market design changes to boost industrial flexibility while balancing costs for industry, the grid, and society.
Partners
Want to know more?
For more information on the GALILEO project, do not hesitate to contact Helena Gerard, Senior Researcher at EnergyVille/VITO. She will be happy to help you.
