The new Flemish agriculture and climate ministers want to reform support for cogeneration in horticulture. CHPs should start running more in function of the market demand for electricity (at times of peak demand) and less at times when a sufficiently large supply of (fossil-free) electricity is already available. It should help reduce emissions from the entire Flemish agriculture and horticulture sector.
VRT points to the increase in emissions from Flemish agriculture and horticulture, which have been rising for years, and the cost of the electricity bill that every Fleming has to pay. Compared to Dutch growers, Flemish growers consume more gas, for the same tomato. "Every year, Flemish greenhouse growers earn tens of millions of euros from the electricity they generate with their natural gas heating systems. That electricity was once seen as a climate solution." But with climate targets looming, and in danger of not being met, Flanders is reconsidering support of CHPs.
Winding down CHP support
Until last year, greenhouse growers could apply for support for a new CHP installation. This support is decreasing year after year, until 2035 at the latest. Phasing out the aid faster provokes protests from growers, who have made expensive investments in gas engines. Moreover, they produce electricity in the public interest, for the power grid, so emissions are not purely agricultural.
The courts would allow faster phase-out. In any case, the new Flemish government is now considering a support adjustment, according to policy papers that made the news this week.
Instead of nuclear reactors
At VILT, Hanne Leirs, energy consultant at Boerenbond, calls the plans "not very innovative". However, she is curious to see exactly what the plans will look like. Herman Mariën, of the CHP cooperative WOM, is also curious to see how the plans will work out, he says in the same article. CHPs, he says, could be a "more sustainable alternative" to some of the old jet engines that help keep the Flemish grid going. The engines should help cope with nuclear reactor closures.
Dutch situation
Similar discussions have already taken place in the Netherlands. For example, last year, around the introduction of new energy taxes. CHP plants should (for the time being) still be able to run well as long as there are not enough alternatives, was the thinking of a majority of parties in Dutch politics. At the time, though, minister Jetten showed himself to be critical: He felt it was important that the use of CHP plants in greenhouse horticulture did not give the "wrong incentive", as he said happened in the energy crisis. "CHP plants were not turned on to primarily serve the greenhouse horticulture business, but mainly to be able to sell electricity at peak prices."
Source: VRT