Current situation, trends and potential of renewable energy in Flanders

The current European Union (EU) energy policy seeks to reach a balance between sustainable development, competitiveness and secure supply. In this sense, the EU energy policy sets the target of a 13% share of renewable energy sources (RESs) for Belgium. Several instruments have been implemented to reach this target. The objective of this study is analyzing those instruments and its effectiveness and efficiency. To tackle this objective, we first analyze the current status of RES in Flanders. Second, we compare the situation in Flanders to the national situation in Belgium and to the other EU member states. Then, we analyze the potential of each type of RES. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and problems of RES related to spatial planning. In Flanders, the main application of renewable energy is electricity production, of which the main source is biomass. An aspect of the Flemish energy policy worth mentioning is the green certificate system, which has stimulated the development of renewable energies. However, a greater effort to regulate this market and to decrease the cost of kWh produced has proven to be necessary. The RES-electricity share of total consumption has increased by 3.2% between 1994 and 2008. But, compared to others EU countries, the share of RES to gross inland consumption in Flanders is small. Large-scale facilities are necessary to reach the EU targets. The development of large wind, biomass and solar projects is suggested as the preferred option for Flanders.