- Flanders Energy Minister announces increase in targets for solar and wind power production
- For solar, the 2020 target has been increased to 3,544 GWh from the previous 2,246 GWh
- Wind power production target has been revised to 3,030 GWh from the earlier 1,683 GWh
- This is an increase of one third from the original goals committed by Flanders to meet the European Union’s 2020 binding targets for its member states
The region of Flanders in Belgium has increased its 2020 targets for solar and wind to 3,544 GWh and 3,030 GWh, respectively. Previously the government was aiming for 2,246 GWh for solar and 1,683 GWh for wind power.
Flemish Minister of Energy, Bart Tommelein announced that the increase comes in the wake of the Langerlo biomass plant going bankrupt. With biomass off the list, the country needs 1,418 GWh of additional renewable capacity. However, opting for wind & solar, Flanders now is aiming for about one third more solar and wind energy than what it originally committed to contribute to Belgium’s nationally binding targets set by the European Union by 2020. Overall, Flanders is targeting to have renewable energy production of 25,074 GWh in 2020.
He hinted that if Flanders is not able to achieve the targets by 2020, then importing renewable energy would be the only option.
In July 2017, Tommelein inaugurated a 2.2 MW rooftop solar system in Flanders, which was the largest rooftop solar system commissioned since 2013 in the region (see Nike Belgium Adds PV Rooftop System).
