Market consultation in 2005-2006
The RTR2 projects follows on from a market consultation launched by Fluxys back in June 2005 to gauge interest in new capacity on the east-west axis running through Belgium. The consultation resulted in contracts representing 10 billion cubic metres of reserved capacity being signed with 16 grid users in both directions. In order to supply the needed capacity Fluxys lays a second pipeline alongside the existing RTR1 Zeebrugge-Zelzate/Eynatten (linking Eynatten and Opwijk), an investment which is worth over €300 million.
Construction launched in 2010
In January 2010, Fluxys launched the RTR2 project which involves laying a second pipeline of approximately 170 km in length. The commissioning of this expansion gradually started since the end of 2010.
In response to market demand, Fluxys could also plan to lay a second pipeline between Opwijk and Zomergem along the route of the existing RTR1 pipeline. In 2008 and 2009, Fluxys began gearing up for the various procedures involved in obtaining permits to lay the pipeline. For the Gent-Zeehaven section, the construction of the pipeline is launched.
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European support
In addition to shoring up transmission capacity for the Belgian market, the RTR2 project will also consolidate border-to-border capacity and in so doing will, in turn, help considerably in bolstering security of supply in Belgium and northwest Europe. Therefore the RTR2 project is one of the priority TEN-E projects listed by the European Commission, granting Fluxys €1.9 million for the project in this framework.
In relation to its recovery plan (European Economic Recovery Plan), the European Commission aims to increase the number of investments and to modernise the infrastructure. The Commission provides €2.3 billion for trans-European projects such as LNG projects and the shoring up of interconnections between the grids. Therefore the European Commission accords €35 million to Fluxys for the construction of the RTR2 project.

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