In the coming years, the focus on renewable energy will keep increasing. As part of this, new wind farms are planned in the Belgian part of the North Sea, and local energy production on land will also increase. To respond to climate change, energy transition is irreversible, making it necessary to create a robust electricity grid and strengthen reliability of supply where necessary. At Antea Group, we were responsible for preparing the plan EIA for this complex project in which several objectives came together.

Quality and accuracy at the centre thanks to multidisciplinary approach

Antea Group guided the complex Ventilus dossier and assessed a wide range of alternatives for their environmental impact. Our experts contributed to a streamlined process in which quality and accuracy were key. The plan EIA assesses the impacts of a wide range of alternatives on soil, water, biodiversity, people and landscape. Our multidisciplinary approach and knowledge enabled us to support the dossier in all areas. Indeed, the assessment of the environmental effects is done in an integrated manner throughout the entire planning process. Given the complexity of the planning process, flexibility was needed to both react and anticipate throughout the process.

Thanks to the successful EIA procedure, on Friday 26 January the Flemish government was able to proceed to the final adoption of the regional spatial implementation plan (known as a 'GRUP'), which lays down the route for the new high-voltage connection. The aim of the GRUP is to anticipate the energy needs of the future, which would make us less dependent on external energy suppliers.