Annual Report

#herewego

Breaking ground to make the transition tangible

The energy transition is a massive undertaking for society as a whole and we are going all out to help speed up this process. Our infrastructure is essential to making the transition happen.

2023 was a turning point. We went from plans and projections to breaking ground on new projects. With infrastructure for security of supply that we can sustainably deploy tomorrow for the benefit of the carbon-neutral society. And this is just the beginning. We have set off, powered by the vibrant strength and forward-looking commitment of all our employees.

Interview with our CEO and Chairman

Before we look ahead, what did Fluxys Belgium stand for in 2023?

Pascal De Buck We broke ground on projects showing what Fluxys Belgium stands for in the energy transition. The new pipeline along the Zeebrugge-Brussels corridor was built and is now in use. Not only is it now a cornerstone for securing the supply of natural gas in Belgium and neighbouring countries, but it is also ready to be used in the national hydrogen network of the future. We're here to offer society security of supply while speeding up the green transition.

Andries Gryffroy We have set off. Industrially, we've taken the first big step towards the multi-molecule infrastructure for a carbon-neutral future. We're also ready to work towards the necessary hydrogen and CO₂ infrastructure within the new legal frameworks. We're continuing to move full steam ahead at the pace of industry. For numerous companies, switching to hydrogen or CO₂ capture is the only way forward if they want to continue anchoring their business and employment locally.

Is industry ready for this transition?

Pascal De Buck Decarbonisation is a major economic challenge for industry. We offer an answer to this challenge because we operate internationally through our parent company Fluxys and because we're particularly well positioned between the North Sea and the large industrial valleys in North-West Europe. We're on the path between overseas imports of low-carbon molecules and consumers, and in the opposite direction, between captured CO₂ from industry and safe storage sites in the North Sea. This enables us to attract large volumes and factor economies of scale into the cost of our services. We're on track to become the hydrogen and CO₂ hub of choice for industry in Belgium and North-West Europe.

Pascal De Buck

We're here to offer society security of supply while speeding up the green transition."

Pascal De Buck
Managing Director and CEO

What challenges lie ahead?

Pascal De Buck We absolutely need an integrated approach to the energy system as a whole because making the transition to net-zero is a threefold challenge. We must ensure a carbon-neutral energy mix while households and businesses need to have energy at all times – all at the lowest possible cost to society. This is only possible by looking at and planning everything holistically. Energy efficiency must improve, we need more green electricity, we need more green and low-carbon molecules and we must ensure that captured CO₂ can be reused or stored. We must make all these solutions work together seamlessly like a Swiss watch for the benefit of all consumers.

Andries Gryffroy Efficient investment requires a long-term approach. In developing hydrogen and CO₂ infrastructure, we work closely with the market. At the same time, looking further ahead is key: to be cost-effective for society in the long run, we must build the right size infrastructure today for the volumes that will come later. So it's important to find mechanisms together with the public authorities to limit the risks of initial investments.

What does sustainable development look like for Fluxys Belgium?

Andries Gryffroy With our investment plans for hydrogen and CO₂ infrastructure in Belgium, we're developing solutions for the large-scale decarbonisation that society needs. The ESG approach we further deepened together with our stakeholders in 2023 gives us direction. It is our compass for developing our business activities sustainably in a long-term perspective for all of our stakeholders.

Andries Gryffroy

Efficient investment requires a long-term approach."

Andries Gryffroy
Chairman of the Board of Directors

Milestones in 2023

Supporting security of supply 24/7

Throughout the year all our teams did everything they could to support security of supply in North-West Europe. The geopolitical situation resulting from the war in Ukraine has profoundly changed the dynamics on the gas markets and the direction of flows in Europe. In addition to supplying Belgium, suppliers continued to carry large quantities of natural gas to the Netherlands and Germany via the Belgian grid. At the same time, our underground storage facility in Loenhout got completely filled, enabling to go into the winter with a maximum buffer. In other words, our Belgian grid once again confirmed its role as an energy hub for Europe, with Zeebrugge as an important gateway.
Hydrogen and CO₂ backbones take shape

We aim to help industry decarbonise as much as possible. We are making every effort to offer the first transmission capacity for hydrogen and/or CO₂ in 2026. After another year of intensive consultation with industry, we are fully preparing the next steps and the newly constructed infrastructure on the Zeebrugge-Brussels corridor constitutes the first 44 km of the future hydrogen backbone in Belgium. As for CO₂, we are also working on a backbone for transporting captured CO₂ to subsea storage facilities and sites where it will be reused. In addition to building backbones for hydrogen and CO₂ we are also fully committed to developing terminals for importing carbon-neutral molecules and exporting CO₂.
Additional transmission capacity now on-stream

Speed and adaptability are the watchwords when it comes to supporting the new supply situation in Europe. We reinforced the Zeebrugge-Brussels corridor with an additional pipeline to carry more natural gas inland from Zeebrugge while maintaining high flows to neighbouring countries. The Desteldonk-Zele section of the new pipeline commissioned in late 2023. Moreover, the pipeline has been designed to carry hydrogen as soon as the market is ready for it. This multi-molecule pipeline is our first concrete step in speeding up the energy transition.
First step towards underground hydrogen storage

Our expertise, innovative strength and existing infrastructure are vital building blocks for the future energy system. Wherever possible we will repurpose our 4,000 km of pipelines so they can carry hydrogen and CO₂. We are also running hydrogen injection tests to determine whether our unique underground storage facility in Loenhout can contribute to the hydrogen economy. Today it is a massive buffer for natural gas, in the future possibly for hydrogen.
System operator candidates: Fluxys hydrogen and Fluxys c-grid

The federal Hydrogen Act, passed in July, regulates the appointment of the system operator responsible for planning, developing and operating the hydrogen transmission system in Belgium. In line with the Hydrogen Act, we founded our subsidiary Fluxys hydrogen, which has submitted its candidacy to serve as the operator of the hydrogen network. The federal government is expected to appoint the system operator in the first months of 2024. The regions are setting up a regulatory framework for CO₂ transmission activities. In anticipation of this, together with Pipelink, Socofe and SFPIM, we founded our subsidiary Fluxys c-grid, a separate company ready to be a candidate for the planning, development and aoperationof the CO₂ transmission infrastructure on Belgian territory.
Strong partners make a strong hub

Strong partnerships and connections with neighbouring countries are essential for the development of open-access transmission infrastructure for both hydrogen and CO₂. Together with OGE and Wintershall Dea in Germany we are exploring a cross-border pipeline for the transmission of CO2. With OGE we are also looking at a cross-border hydrogen connection between Belgium and Germany. With British National Gas we are working also in the context of the energy transition. And with Dutch hydrogen system operator Hynetwork Services we are looking into the possibilities to link our respective hydrogen networks. By connecting our hydrogen and CO₂ grids with those of neighbouring countries, we are developing our country as a multi-molecule hub for the economy in both Belgium and North-West Europe.
Tapping the North Sea's energy potential

The North Sea countries want to boost their combined offshore wind power generating capacity to 300 GW by 2050 with a view to making the North Sea the largest green energy plant in Europe. In order to carry maximum green hydrogen from North Sea wind ashore, we teamed up with the other major gas grid operators at the North Sea Summit in Ostend to develop, together with electricity grid operators, the best infrastructure to ensure that not a single puff of wind goes to waste in the North Sea.
Reducing our CO₂ emissions with seawater

Our goal is to be climate-neutral in 2050. The first milestones are to halve our greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 compared to 2017 and to achieve a 67% reduction in 2030. In 2023 at our LNG terminal in Zeebrugge we commissioned three additional open-rack vaporisers (ORVs) that use heat from seawater to regasify LNG. These ORVs replace traditional heating units, resulting in much more efficient energy consumption and significantly lower CO₂ emissions at the terminal.
95 new colleagues putting their backs into it

A large group of new talent joined our team in 2023. No fewer than 95 new colleagues are pushing hard to successfully speed up the energy transition to a climate-neutral society. The youngest new colleague was 20 years old, the most experienced 58!

Key figures

Download

You can download the complete Fluxys Belgium integrated annual report 2023 to find out more about our company's strategy, highlights of the year, ESG performance and financial situation.