Germany and Belgium strengthen energy collaboration

Germany and Belgium have signed an agreement to increase their collaboration on electrification, LNG, hydrogen and carbon capture with an aim of ultimately boosting their energy security.

PHOTO: Press conference today with Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz (left) and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (right) in Antwerp-Bruges. Port of Antwerp-Bruges

European countries have been looking for ways to become more energy independent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and retaliatory sanctions left the region in an energy crisis. Germany has had a complete rethink of its energy system after gradually shunning Russian oil and gas, and eventually moving away from it completely.

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz now seeks to increase German energy supply chain integration with Belgium, perhaps through more imports routed via Belgium's top Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

The port, which is already a major entry point for LNG with 15% of Europe's total imports, plans to also import hydrogen and hydrogen carriers to Germany in the future.

Scholz met with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in Antwerp-Bruges today in an effort to increase the countries' energy cooperation.

“Port of Antwerp-Bruges sees a key role for itself in the import, local production, processing and throughput of green hydrogen and derivatives to the hinterland,” the port authority said in a statement. “Zeebrugge is already one of the main entry points for LNG and natural gas," it added.

Not everything has to flow from Belgium to Germany. Carbon dioxide captured at German industrial plants could increasingly be transported via Belgium and shipped from Antwerp-Bruges for deep-sea storage in the North Sea.

The two countries have set up an Energy Contact Group, which will include political and industry stakeholders and will meet every year to discuss a range of energy topics.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

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