Elia

COMPANY PROFILE

2015

ELIA

+32 2 546 70 11 | www.elia.be

Powering progress Editorial: Annabelle Withering

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With a transmission grid covering 18,300 km of high-voltage connections, Elia has successfully cemented a prominent and enviable position within the European TSO marketplace. Playing a vital role in Belgian’s economy and environmental development, the company is proposing one large high-voltage substation to be located in the North Sea - creating a shared network solution for future offshore wind farm projects.

Now serving 30 million endconsumers, Elia Group stands as one of Europe’s top five TSO players. A big driving force behind the development of the European electricity market, Elia transmits electricity securely, reliably and efficiently to distribution systems operators and large industry consumers, not to mention exporting electricity to and from Belgium’s neighbours.

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Earlier this year, Elia Grid International (EGI) and Siemens joined forces on the international energy market, in a bid to focus on sustainable development of high-voltage infrastructure in SubSaharan Africa. Entering into an agreement, both companies will identify, develop and implement potential high voltage projects in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa), following approval

by the customer.

Markus Berger, CEO of Elia Grid International, said: “As a supplier of high-voltage systems, Siemens is a familiar and valued partner of the Elia Group that shares the same values regarding the sustainable development, construction and management of energy systems.

Because Siemens is so firmly established in African countries, EGI strongly believes in the added

ELIA value and business potential offered by our international cooperation.”

The partnership between the two companies will overlook all phases of the project from initially identifying potential projects and customers to the consultancy and engineering aspects, before the final implementation of the highvoltage infrastructure is completed.

The partnership looks to improve and upgrade the existing energy infrastructure and implement new and exciting projects.

“We are very happy about the agreement with Elia, which has been a partner at local level for many years and with which we have developed a trust-based relationship. Thanks to the complementary nature of the product lines of both companies, we strongly believe that we can and will strengthen each other in this exciting field. Together we will ensure that the available energy gets to its destination - anywhere in the world - while paying close

attention to economic efficiency, climate, available local resources and public acceptance. In this way, we are drawing up a reliable energy roadmap for the future,” André Bouffioux, CEO of Siemens Belgium-Luxembourg said.

An exciting venture for EGI, this partnership will help in boosting the international aspirations of the Elia Group. A wholly owned subsidiary of Elia Transmission in Belgium and 50Hertz Transmission in Germany, the company combines the best resources of two of Europe’s largest electricity transmission system operators, built on the solid foundations of expertise and reliability.

NEW MANAGEMENT In June this year Elia appointed Chris Peeters as its new CEO. With a strong background in engineering and management, Peeters gained a Master’s degree at the University of Leuven in Belgium in Civil Engineering. Spending more

than a decade – seven of those as a partner - with McKinsey & Company, Peeters specialised in the energy sector, before running the Business Consulting activities of Schlumberger in Europe, Africa, Russia and the Middle East.

“Chris Peeters is a strong leader with an established track record and deep knowledge of the energy sector. His strategic and organisational talent form a solid foundation for leading the Elia Group in the coming years. We are looking forward to working with Chris. We see Chris as the right CEO for the Elia Group and are convinced that he will be a highly skilled partner for the regulatory authorities, the government and other stakeholders,” Miriam Maes, Chairman of the Board of Directors explains.

“I am honoured to have been nominated as CEO of the Elia Group and am impressed by the expertise of its staff and its ability to deliver essential projects in Belgium

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and Germany,” Peeters said. “I am particularly excited about serving the Elia Group and leading the company through the challenges of the ongoing energy transition.”

Becoming an independent limited liability company in 2001, Elia was appointed the federal transmission system operator in September 2002. Today, the company continues to play a vital role in Belgium’s energy transmission and in its economy, operating more than 8,000km of cable lines throughout the country, it ensures the smooth transmission of electricity from the generators, to the distribution systems, before reaching the end

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“We are reinforcing the existing highvoltage grid in West and East Flanders so that greater quantities of electricity can be transported from the coast inland”

consumer.

Owning not only the entirety of Belgium’s 150 to 380 kV grid infrastructure but 94% of its 30 to 70 kV grid infrastructure too, Elia must ensure that the high-voltage grid is continually developed and maintained in order to meet the growing needs and future demands of the electricity market and consumer.

Accommodating a growing share of electricity generated by renewable energy sources and strengthening European interconnections are just two of the major challenges Elia must overcome.

ELIA NORTH SEA PROPOSAL In an attempt to counteract these, Elia has plans to develop an offshore ‘power socket’ in the North Sea which will help to ensure wind farms in this popularised region are all connected to a single high-voltage substation rather than current individual connections. This new proposed single substation would be installed on an offshore platform before being connected to the onshore grid.

Aside from the economic and technical benefits of this proposal, the shared connection solution will be environmentally beneficial for the wind farms still due to be built.

Discussing plans with the operators of Northwester II, Mermaid, Rentel and Seastar, the long-term objective of this proposal is to concentrate all available electrical capacity at one set point located offshore, allowing all generated energy to then be transmitted to consumption centers via the offshore direct-current infrastructure which will be built. Following this, Elia will then lay the foundations for a vast direct-current offshore grid in Europe.

Flanders so that greater quantities of electricity can be transported from the coast inland. We are also installing new overhead and underground connections, and dismantling 53 km of old lines which will be replaced by a 35-km underground system once the new connections are operational,” the company explains.

Building three high-voltage substations at Zeebrugge, De Spie and Vivenkapelle, the Stevin Project will allow for additional decentralised electricity generation in the coastal region, including wind, solar and alternative sustainable energy sources to be

connected to the grid.

Venturing further afield outside of Belgium - the Nemo Link® interconnector consists of subsea and underground cables which will connect to a converter station and electricity substation in Belgium and the United Kingdom - allowing electricity to flow in either direction between these two countries.

This interconnector, in addition to Elia’s many upgrades and expansion projects, will help in increasing demand and the essential development of the European electricity market for many years to come

Fibre optic engineering, construction & maintenance

STEVIN PROJECT In a bid to upgrade the high-voltage grid between Zomergem and Zeebrugge, the Stevin Project will allow wind power to be brought from offshore wind farms to the mainland before it is transported throughout Belgium.

The project involves the extension of the 380 kV grid which, in turn, will support electricity supply substantially in West Flanders, helping to facilitate further economic development and strategic growth areas surrounding the Zeebrugge port.

“We are reinforcing the existing high-voltage grid in West and East

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