Access to the Grid (Renewables and CHP)

In April 2000, the federal government decided that all generators of electricity from renewable sources will become progressively free to choose their own electricity supplier if they need more electricity than they can generate. Also, consumers who buy a significant amount of their electricity from renewable sources are eligible to choose their electricity supplier. When coordinating the call to electricity suppliers, the transport-grid manager, taking into account the needed supply security, gives priority to plants using renewable energy sources for power production, or to cogeneration units. The Flemish Parliament approved the decree regarding the liberalisation of the electricity market and foresees the following categories as eligible: - producers using quality CHP (combined heat and power production) installations or renewables for electricity generation (up to a certain ceiling), - consumers of renewable electricity generated by means of a CHP unit (for the amount of electricity) or consumers using heat from CHP units or renewables, - consumers using heat from a supplier who generates this heat by means of CHP units or renewables (for maximum 500 kWh electricity per GJ heat). In Wallonia, the corresponding decree has been approved; it will also aim at the gradual opening of the market for producers using CHP and renewables for electricity generation, as well as consumers using renewable electricity and/or electricity generated by means of a CHP unit or using heat from CHP units or renewables.

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