According to Minister Van der Straeten, the Belgian law can inspire Europe and thus become “the hydrogen gateway to Europe”. “Our ports are world-class and the existing natural gas transport infrastructure is relatively easy to adapt for hydrogen. We are extremely well connected with our neighboring countries where the demand for hydrogen is growing,” says Van der Straeten.
Energy expert Luc Pauwels compares it to the investments our country made after the energy crisis in the 1970s. “An LNG terminal has been built in Zeebrugge, and it is now really paying off.” LNG arrives in Zeebrugge, where it is converted into gas and transported via pipelines to the rest of Europe. Not unimportant in times when many countries are trying to make themselves independent of Russian gas. Last year, a record amount of LNG arrived in Zeebrugge. “The ambition is to become such a hub for hydrogen as well,” says Pauwels. “Not to consume it all ourselves, but to send it on to neighboring countries.”
The hydrogen law still has to pass before a second reading by the Parliamentary Committee on Energy. After that, the entire Chamber must also give the green light. The full roll-out of hydrogen will take several years, but it’s coming, that’s for sure. “It’s not a castle in the air, you can do many things with hydrogen,” concludes Pauwels.
