Province of East Flanders - Stakeholder meetings held

In January and February 2025, the Province of East Flanders organised four stakeholder meetings, which can be seen as four different bilateral discussions, as part of the Interreg project HYPERION.

These meetings were held with companies/organizations involved in the hydrogen economy in Flanders. Among them were:

1. electricity producers
2. energy suppliers
3. a company focused on sustainable energy solutions and innovative technologies
4. a company dealing with green and low-carbon molecules infrastructure in Belgium.

Two meetings took place at our provincial headquarters, while the other two were held online. Based on these bilateral discussions, we gathered valuable information and gained a better understanding of the current situation of the hydrogen economy in Flanders, and the strengths and weaknesses related to hydrogen within our region.

• The first electricity producer withdrew from a hydrogen project due to uncertainties regarding the business case. This uncertainty is caused by the insufficient supply of green electricity in Belgium, which is necessary to produce green hydrogen. Furthermore, several stakeholders pointed out that electrolysers are too expensive to produce green hydrogen only during peak times. These installations would need to operate continuously to be economically viable.

• Some stakeholders questioned why they should supply electricity to electrolysers when it could be provided directly to other consumers without conversion and, consequently, without electricity loss.
• Another point raised during our bilateral discussions was the production cost of green hydrogen, which is currently too high compared to the market price of green hydrogen, making it less attractive to invest in. One stakeholder also reported facing overly strict regulatory frameworks regarding hydrogen, as well as difficulties in receiving subsidies for hydrogen projects. This could hinder pilot projects, which are essential to kickstart the hydrogen economy in our region.

• Stakeholders also see opportunities for green hydrogen. Particularly in the mobility sector, especially for long-distance transport, they see potential for decarbonization through hydrogen. Additionally, they see opportunities for hydrogen as a means of energy storage, which could provide flexibility to the grid.

• Some stakeholders are optimistic about the construction of the hydrogen backbone in Belgium, while others are less optimistic. For example, one stakeholder believes that converting natural gas pipelines to hydrogen pipelines is almost impossible due to the chemical and physical properties of hydrogen molecules. On the other hand, the stakeholders dealing with hydrogen infrastructure are very optimistic about this conversion and stated that these pipelines are perfectly capable of handling hydrogen. The permits and materials for the hydrogen backbone have already been arranged, and they are ready to begin the construction of the hydrogen backbone.