December 13, 2023
The Belgian company EnergyVision will invest 15 million euros over the next twelve months in installing approximately 150 fast-charging stations in Belgium “with no price difference with slow-charging stations”. Until recently, EnergyVision had ten fast-charging stations in Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent. The new fast-charging stations will be installed on the sites of more than sixty […]
December 12, 2023
After a break of almost a decade, the long-awaited night train connection between Brussels and Berlin is finally operational again. The first trip of the Nightjet train departed on Monday evening in Berlin and was waved goodbye by German Transport Minister Volker Wissing and the boss of Deutsche Bahn Richard Lutz. The journey took 13 […]
December 11, 2023
The market of the new speed pedelecs experienced a further delay in November, with -20,9% to 1 018 units, which is 269 less than in November last year. The persistently negative figures reduce the cumulative annual total over the first nine months to -9,9% below the previous year’s figure. Private individuals (-33,2%) and companies (-15,8%) […]
December 08, 2023
The temperature on Earth is rising more rapidly than previously thought due to increased carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. Current levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have not been reached in 14 million years on Earth. This is what a group of scientists published on Thursday in the Science journal. The study results […]
December 07, 2023
The Belgian gas system operator Fluxys has decided to partner with two German companies to develop cross-border CO2 pipelines to transport and store CO2 in the North Sea. The companies announced the deal on Wednesday, during the Belgian state visit to Germany. Fluxys previously concluded an agreement with the German oil and gas company Wintershall […]
December 06, 2023
Growth in the second-hand car market got another boost in November. Last month, 57 519 used cars were registered, 6,5% more than in 2022. The increase is 7,8% over the first eleven months of the year (46 231 units more than in 2022), but there is a deficit of 18 030 units compared to 2021. […]
December 04, 2023
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for a global carbon tax during an event on carbon markets at the UN Climate Summit COP28 in Dubai on Friday. “Putting a price on carbon is a way to reduce emissions while encouraging innovation and growth,” von der Leyen said. Today, only 23 percent of all […]
December 04, 2023
Belgium, Flanders, and Brussels must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990). According to the Brussels Court of Appeal, these three governments have so far not done enough to protect citizens’ human rights. The Belgian climate policy violates two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantee the ‘right […]
November 30, 2023
Febelauto, the Belgian management organization for waste vehicles and industrial batteries, will organize a circular truck and bus event in December. The event will take place in Beringen on December 11th. Importers and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) will be invited to sign a manifesto that day. Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters […]
November 29, 2023
On Tuesday morning, November 28th, the first trans-Atlantic flight by an airliner powered by 100% green fuel took off. Virgin Atlantic operated the flight from London Heathrow to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Virgin founder Richard Branson, British Transport Secretary Mark Harper, and Virgin Atlantic chief executive Shai Weiss […]
November 28, 2023
The F34 bicycle highway between Ostend and Zeebrugge (Belgium) is taking shape. It will connect Nieuwpoort and Knokke-Heist and bicycle traffic will be guided via a 4-meter wide and comfortable bicycle highway, seperated from motorized traffic. Cyclists will always have priority at intersections on this highway. In 2019, Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works, […]
November 27, 2023
According to the Federal Agency for Occupational Risks (Fedris), the number of work accidents on the road has significantly increased compared to one year before. In 2022, Belgium registered almost 35 daily work-related road accidents, 17% more than in 2021, or 12 712. Most of those accidents occurred in Flanders – one-quarter in the province […]
November 24, 2023
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has chosen Milence, the joint venture between Daimler Truck, Volvo Group, and the Traton Group, to develop two charging hubs at the Truck Parking Goordijk and Ketenis. Milence is developing Europe’s largest public charging network for all battery-electric heavy-duty trucks. Scheduled to open in May 2024, the hubs in the Antwerp […]
November 23, 2023
In 2022, governments worldwide spent a record amount of money – more than 1 500 billion euros – to support the fossil industry. Most of the money (1 200 billion euros) went to fossil fuel subsidies, but last year, many more investments went to renewable energy than was previously the case. That is what the […]
November 23, 2023
D’Ieteren‘s bicycle division Lucien announces strengthening its position in the Belgian bicycle market by acquiring two renowned bicycle shops – Bike Planet Sport and Bike Planet City – in Malines (Mechelen). In Louvain, there will be a new store at the Diestsestraat 88. The two stores in Mechelen have built a strong reputation for offering […]
November 22, 2023
Seven Limburg municipalities with a ‘coal mine history’ join forces to build an innovative 70-km bicycle highway between Beringen (West) and Maasmechelen (East), via Heusden-Zolder, Houthalen-Helchteren, Zonhoven, Genk, and As. The total investment amounts to 13 million euros. The first section of the so-called ‘Kolenspoor’ (coal trail) to be realized will be the route between […]
November 21, 2023
The Dutch energy provider Eneco has applied for a permit to construct a large-scale green hydrogen plant in the port of Rotterdam (the Netherlands). The ‘Eneco Electrolyzer’, as the utility will be called, is scheduled for 2026, and the hydrogen plant should be put into operation in 2029. The Dutch utility will use electricity from […]
November 21, 2023
On Monday, November 20th, the Belgian contractor Jan De Nul announced that it had signed a “milestone agreement” with the Egyptian government, represented by the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), to start the study for the construction of an undersea export cable between Egypt and Europe. Compared to the greater part of Europe, conditions for […]
November 20, 2023
In 2019, the wealthiest one percent of the world’s population – 77 million people – produced as much carbon pollution as the five billion poorest people, representing two-thirds of humanity. The wealthiest one percent was responsible for 16% of global consumption emissions in 2019 – more than all car and road transport emissions. That is […]
November 17, 2023
Volkswagen will help Vatican City in its transition to sustainable mobility. Next year, the German car manufacturer will deliver almost forty full-electric car models, ranging from the ID.3 to the ID.5. The new electric cars are part of Vatican City’s decarbonization strategy, aiming at making the Vatican’s fleet climate-neutral by 2030. Vatican City is committed […]
November 17, 2023
Belgian grid operator Elia and its Norwegian counterpart Statnett are investigating whether installing a submarine power cable between Belgium and Norway is possible. The cable would connect both countries’ high-voltage grids and integrate Norwegian offshore wind farms. A similar project was previously launched in Denmark. The study is intended to analyze the “technical and economic […]
November 15, 2023
The Belgian federal energy regulator CREG has approved the new transmission rates grid manager Elia will charge for electricity distribution via the high-voltage network. The energy price will be significantly increased because the energy transition and expected EV boom will require a lot of heavy investments in the coming years. For consumers, higher rates mean […]
November 14, 2023
In 2022, 540 people died in Belgian traffic – one out of three fatalities was a cyclist or pedestrian. This score is far from the target of 320 road deaths by 2030. “Not enough has happened in road safety in the last ten years,” says Karin Genoe, CEO of Traffic Safety Institute Vias. “Many measures […]
November 13, 2023
Belgian pedestrians are far from satisfied with the walkability of their municipality. The average result is 10,4 out of 20 when asked to assign a score. The figures come from the first Belgian Pedestrian Barometer, published by Tous à Pied, Pedestrian Movement, and Walk this Sunday.Brussels. The participants were invited to respond to various statements, […]
November 09, 2023
Belgium will join an international consortium to develop Small Modular Reactors (SMR), the small nuclear power stations of the future. On Wednesday, the Belgian nuclear research center SCK CEN in Mol signed a Memorandum of Understanding with four international partners. These are the Italian researchers from Enea, the Romanian researchers from Raten, the American Westinghouse […]
November 08, 2023
Flemish public transport company De Lijn will order 44 articulated electric buses from Italian bus manufacturer Iveco. The delivery of the 18-meter-log buses is expected in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 33,47-million-euro investment. The buses will be equipped with all modern amenities, such as USB chargers, extra-wide screens with stop indications, electric ramps, […]
November 07, 2023
German discounter Aldi plans to install charging infrastructure for electric cars on its shopping sites in Belgium. By the end of 2024, the supermarket chain’s 440 stores will have charging points – both slow (11 to 22 kW) and fast chargers (60 to 120 kW). Aldi will, therefore, join forces with the Belgian start-up Pluon, […]
November 06, 2023
Japanese car manufacturer Honda recently presented its first electric bicycle concept, the Honda eMTB Concept, at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo. The mountain bike has a fairly realistic design and could possibly reach production in the short term. Debuting the eMTB concept bike at the Japanese Mobility Show is a big step for Honda, […]
November 03, 2023
A team of scientists led by world-known climatologist and former NASA researcher James Hansen is working on a new study that warns of a possible short-term spike of planetary heating 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2050. Ironically, the sudden surge of warming – predominantly since 2010 – is driven mainly by the steep […]
November 02, 2023
The German Finance Minister, Christian Lindner (FDP), doubts that Germany can stop generating energy from coal by 2030. However, the early phasing out of coal-fired power stations is included in the coalition agreement of two years ago. In the 2021 coalition agreement, the German Social Democrats, the Greens, and Lindner’s liberal Free Democratic Party agreed […]
November 01, 2023
Despite all efforts to combat global warming, the 425 most polluting coal, gas, and oil projects in the world have not been completed in recent years. On the contrary. International media research has shown that the world still has 425 ‘carbon bombs’ – 195 oil and gas projects and 230 coal mines. Now, what exactly […]
October 30, 2023
Flemish Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) plans to install a new Bicycle Chair at Ghent University from December 1st, with financial and substantive support from the Flemish government. Mobility experts who want to contribute to cycling policy in Flanders with their academic work can apply for the vacancy of part-time guest professor. The […]
October 27, 2023
The Roads and Traffic Agency (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) will renew approximately 250 traffic signs along the Flemish highways in the coming weeks. The signs are intended to announce where owners of electric cars can charge their vehicles. The signs will be updated, and a loading icon will be added. The first new traffic […]
October 26, 2023
Things are at odds between Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) and Ann Schoubs, director general of public transport company De Lijn. Schoubs had made some critical statements in the media about the company’s inadequate financing. She called the outdated buses ‘cadavers’ and the underfunding ‘a rotting strategy’. In response, Peeters lashed out strongly […]
October 25, 2023
Last Tuesday, British multinational oil and gas company Shell opened its largest solar farm in Europe in Terneuzen (Zeeland, the Netherlands). The park has more than 128 000 solar panels and can produce 71,1 megawatts of power. “The new solar park will contribute significantly to achieving the climate goals in Zeeland,” Shell says. However, it […]
October 25, 2023
On Tuesday, the European Commission presented new measures to boost the European wind power industry to achieve the European Union’s targets for renewable energy generation by 2030. The European Union aims to reach its climate goal of generating 42,5% of the EU’s total energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030. Wind energy, which accounted for […]
October 24, 2023
In its latest edition of the ‘World Energy Outlook 2023’, released on Tuesday, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says that “as things stand, demand for fossil fuels is likely to remain far too high” to maintain the most ambitious climate goal of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement: to limit the rise in average global temperatures […]
October 24, 2023
On Monday, energy infrastructure group Fluxys Belgium launched its pilot project ‘BE-HyStore’ in Loenhout (Belgium). The project is intended to investigate the feasibility of hydrogen storage in the Loenhout subsurface. With 40 years of underground natural gas storage expertise, Fluxys will explore the possibilities of storing hydrogen in an underground aquifer. Federal Minister of Economy […]
October 23, 2023
For the first time in 130 years, the powerful German trade union IG Metall will have a woman at the top starting this Monday. Christiane Benner (55) sees her fight for workers’ rights as a political mission. During the weekend, the newly appointed head of Germany’s most significant union called on the federal government to […]
October 19, 2023
Porthos, the Rotterdam carbon-dioxide-capturing project given the green light in August, has entered a new phase. The final investment decision has been made, and in 2024, the construction of the first large CO2 transport and storage system in the Netherlands will start. The project will cost 1,3 billion euros and is expected to be ready […]
October 18, 2023
Belgian consumers pay the world’s highest transmission and distribution network rates on electricity bills. This conclusion comes from the latest International Energy Agency (IEA) report, ‘Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions’, cited by Het Laatste Nieuws. According to the IEA, in 2021, an average family in Belgium paid more than 280 euros per megawatt hour […]
October 17, 2023
Sweden´s largest energy storage system, made with reuse batteries with an output of 2.8 megawatts, was commissioned on Monday in Gothenburg. BatteryLoop, the subsidiary of Swedish Stena Recycling, specializing in connecting used EV batteries, used batteries from Mercedes-Benz EVs for its stationary energy storage system. The storage system is to power a new sustainable district […]
October 16, 2023
Public transport company De Lijn recently opened a new type of store where passengers can obtain travel info and buy bus and tram tickets. The store is located in the gallery of the Antwerp Central Station, in the Pelikaanstraat. Later, similar shops will follow in Brussels, Louvain, and Ostend. Compared to the previous generation of […]
October 13, 2023
According to the highest European Court, an e-bike is not a motorized vehicle. Speed pedelecs and other electric bicycles are, therefore, not covered by compulsory insurance for motor vehicles because they are not driven exclusively by mechanical power. That is what the European Court of Justice states in a judgment in a Belgian case. The […]
October 05, 2023
Today, the Dutch Coalition of Car-sharing Providers (Coalitie van Deelauto-aanbieders, CvD), launches its collaboration. The five coalition members – GreenMobility, MyWheels, Share Now, Sixt share, and SnappCar – want to promote car sharing and stimulate conversation between the sector, civil servants, politicians, and experts. According to CvD, car sharing is a practical, affordable, and more […]
October 04, 2023
Flemish Minister of the North Sea, Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld), has granted an environmental permit for Princess Elisabeth Island, which that will be built off the Belgian coast in the coming years. That is what high-voltage grid operator Elia announced on Tuesday. According to Elia, obtaining a permit is crucial for constructing the artificial […]
October 04, 2023
According to Filip Rylant, spokesperson for mobility federation Traxio, second-hand car market growth cooled considerably in September after three months of double-digit growth. Interest in used cars remains high, and although the increase is moderate, the market is still developing favorably. The good news is that second-hand car availability is increasing, and prices are stabilizing. […]
October 03, 2023
Thanks to ‘Smartdrop’, an intelligent last-mile calculation tool to determine the impact of online parcel deliveries, consumers can choose the most sustainable delivery option. It was developed by the Belgian trade federation Comeos and the Brussels University’s research group VUB Mobilise. The tool considers several factors associated with online purchases: CO2 emissions, traffic congestion, air […]
October 02, 2023
The Antwerp pre-subway will close for four months. For all those months, there will be no tram connection between the left and right banks of the river Scheldt. Public transport company De Lijn will completely close part of Antwerp’s pre-subway tubes in 2026 to carry out thorough renovation works. “By completely closing the tubes, we […]
October 02, 2023
The federal government will increase the bicycle allowance for those who commute by bicycle from 0,27 euros to 0,35 euros per kilometer. In addition to the increase, there will be an annual ceiling for the tax exemption of 2 500 euros per year. According to figures from HR service provider SD Worx, almost one in […]
September 28, 2023
For several months now, the Antwerp Waterbus has stopped its 8 a.m. shuttle service to from Kruibeke to Antwerp, causing a lot of resentment among commuters. By canceling the 08:10 a.m. ferry, people are forced to take the early-morning 07:40 a.m. boat, but sometimes, the ferry is overcrowded, and passengers cannot board. That is why […]
September 27, 2023
Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will only be achievable with a rapid acceleration of climate protection efforts and international cooperation. The International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that in its new ‘Net Zero Roadmap’ edition. If climate protection measures are not accelerated and implemented as planned by 2030, massive reliance will have to be […]
September 26, 2023
Despite climate ambitions to phase out carbon emissions by 2050, fossil companies continue to invest in new oil pipelines and platforms, shale gas projects, and even coal mines. To finance these activities, they increasingly rely on the cooperation of the banks. That is what the newspaper De Tijd revealed on Tuesday, based on research from […]
September 26, 2023
The Dutch railway company Arriva intends to offer travelers some additional train connections. The company wants to operate trains from The Hague and Amsterdam to Antwerp, Brussels, and Brussels Airport from 2027 onward. Arriva opposes the monopoly of NS, the national rail network in the Netherlands. Therefore, the company applied to operate 26 rail routes […]
September 25, 2023
The number of average speed controls on Flemish roads is increasing rapidly. Newspaper De Tijd reports that, according to a survey by Het Laatste Nieuws and news channel VTM, 159 trajectory speed checks are operational today. By the end of the year, this number will more than double to 349. Average or trajectory speed checks […]
September 25, 2023
Twenty-six Antwerp action groups have joined forces and launched an election memorandum on Friday about mobility in the province of Antwerp. The memorandum calls for a “catch-up” effort, including “substantial investments” in public transport and pedestrian and cycling facilities. According to the activists, the promised “modal shift” to at least 50% of journeys that must […]
September 22, 2023
Limburg-based Giga Storage Belgium will construct a large-scale battery farm in Ophoven (Kinrooi). With a 300 megawatt capacity, it will be the largest battery farm in Europe, capable of providing 165 000 families with electricity for four hours. Large storage capacity with batteries is essential to absorb fluctuations in supply and demand in the electricity […]
September 21, 2023
Gas network operator Fluxys Belgium, Pipelink, Socofe, and the Federal Participation and Investment Company (SFPIM) join forces to create ‘Fluxys c-grid’, a CO2 network operator that must support the industry “in its transition efforts toward a low CO2 emission future”. Pipelink is a subsidiary of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, and Socofe is the investment vehicle […]
September 21, 2023
GreenMobility, the Antwerp-based platform for shared e-cars, wants to make car sharing affordable and sustainable for students. With the special GreenStudent subscription, they can now travel cheaply all year round with a minimal ecological footprint. The GreenStudent subscription gives students access to 100% electric cars at any time of the day. They receive a 10% […]
September 20, 2023
Since 1995, European countries have invested 66% more in highways than rail connections. “We spend more money on means of transport that emit the most greenhouse gases,” says Joeri Thijs, spokesperson for Greenpeace. Greenpeace Central en Eastern Europe requested a study by the Wuppertal Institute and think tank T3 Transportation. That study revealed that over […]
