Press - Media 2013

The industrial electricity consumers, connected to the Elia grid, definitely dispose of extra potential for absorbing electricity consumption peaks. This is the conclusion of the study Elia, Febeliec and EnergyVille jointly organized in the summer of 2013 and to which some 29 industrial consumers, representing about 13,6 % of the Belgian electricity consumption in 2012, have contributed.

The federal council of ministers has decided today to turn the degressivity and ceiling for industrial consumers into a structural measure. In this way, the formula already applied during the second half of this year will be consolidated for the future.

Febeliec memorandum - elections 2014

Choice for gas powered plants too expensive and jeopardy for development of cheaper new technology

Febeliec, the association of industrial consumers, goes to the Court of Appeal to contest the new Elia tariffs approved by the CREG on May 16 last.

Earlier this year, a study by Deloitte pointed out that the Belgian industry pays a significant higher electricity price than its competitors in the surrounding countries.

More and more intermittent energy sources inject electricity into the grid (principally wind and solar energy), and investments in new power plants that can supply power at all times are lacking.  This leads throughout Europe and thus also in Belgium to growing uncertainty about security of supply and to increasing support for subsidies for building new plants. Grid operators, regulators and authorities in the European Union are more and more concerned about this issue.

Febeliec reacts with deception to the decision of the Belgian regulator CREG on the review of Elia’s transmission tariffs. Febeliec recognizes the need to adapt the tariffs after the decision of February 6th last the Brussels Court of Appeal, but regrets that the impact of this revision is largely charged through to the end customers. This will imply an increase of grid costs for the industry of some 300 million euros over the period 2012-2015.

Last Friday, the federal government decided to apply a degressive tariff and a cap to the surcharge for offshore wind energy as from July 1^st till the end of this year. This tariff will be based on the same mechanism as the one for the federal levy and will apply to industrial electricity consumers. Febeliec welcomes this decision which, for the rest of this year, is a step forward towards competitive electricity prices for our industry, and is a start towards reducing our handicap compared to the neighbouring countries. Febeliec insists, though, that this new regime be extended to the coming years, in order to improve the investment climate for industrial companies.

Belgian industry pays a much higher electricity price than its competitors in neighbouring countries. This is a result of a study by Deloitte commissioned by Febeliec, the association of industrial consumers. The main causes are taxes on electricity and other government measures in the countries analysed. If this trend is continued, survival of the industry in our country is threatened.

The Belgian energy regulator CREG has published today the tariffs of the federal levies on electricity and natural gas in 2013. Both tariffs are cut down again, but Febeliec, the federation of the industrial consumers of electricity and natural gas, regrets that this does not lead to lower costs for all users. Moreover, the tariffs for the cost of the offshore wind farms have not been published yet and energy costs in Belgium remain a major threat for our industry’s competitiveness.