Greenpeace Belgium, Bond Beter Leefmilieu and Dryade are appealing to the Council of State against the “Regional Spatial Implementation Plan Leidingstraat Glabbeek-Halen”, which the Flemish government approved this summer. This plan provides for the construction of a pipeline aimed at expanding the natural gas infrastructure in Limburg in the short term. However, whether this expansion is necessary, or whether it hinders the climate transition, was not investigated.
This plan was initiated in 2020 with a dual planning objective. The first objective is aimed at the construction of a natural gas pipeline for energy supply.
Angelos Koutsis from Bond Beter Leefmilieu states that "public data indicate that there is no need for additional natural gas infrastructure either in the province of Limburg or in Belgium in general. On the contrary: between 2021 and 2023 natural gas consumption in Belgium decreased by 20%, and numerous policy initiatives have been taken aimed at phasing out fossil gas. Furthermore, various studies from, among others, natural gas consumption in Belgium by 20%, and numerous policy initiatives were taken aimed at phasing out fossil gas. Furthermore, various studies by, among others, the European Commission and the Federal Public Service Economy indicate a strong decline in gas demand by 2040, due to the energy transition. All these developments were not taken into account when approving this plan.”
The second objective aims to expand a pipeline network that could serve in the long term for the transport of 'green gases', such as hydrogen.However, recently one scientific study after another has emerged showing that the potential of renewable hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels has long been greatly overestimated”, says Mathieu Soete from Greenpeace. “These studies show that the use of expensive, scarce renewable hydrogen is only meaningful for a limited number of industrial processes. Based on the latest scientific insights, it is therefore highly uncertain whether this infrastructure for more sustainable gases is even necessary.”.
Finally, notes Elias Van Marcke from Dryade that “investments in fossil fuel infrastructure can lead to a 'lock-in effect' or to 'stranded assets', which delay the necessary investments in a renewable energy-based system. Moreover, further expansion of fossil gas infrastructure would particularly impact vulnerable households. Because if the demand for fossil gas or the number of network users continues to decline, as expected, this will lead to a sharp increase in network tariffs for the remaining users. An increasingly extensive fossil gas infrastructure must be paid for by fewer and fewer consumers, or the government will have to intervene. This creates a vicious circle, where higher network tariffs encourage users to move away from gas, causing network tariffs to rise even further for the less affluent remaining users.”
In short, the decision of the Flemish government to proceed with the construction of this pipeline does not fit into a just transition to a climate-neutral society, according to the three organisations.“It is high time that the Flemish government takes this transition seriously and allows it to be reflected in its planning and permitting practices.”