May 03, 2023
Centrica Business Solutions, a British multinational energy and services company headquartered in Windsor, Berkshire, has started the construction of its first 24 MW battery storage facility outside the UK. The first installation will be built in Ostend. The site is set to be at full capacity by early 2024. Later, the company plans more similar […]
May 02, 2023
Flemish Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) would like to reintroduce a premium for electric or zero-emission cars. This premium is only part of the proposals the minister is putting on the table within the Flemish government during the discussion about the climate objectives. In 2020, the Flemish government decided to scrap the premiums […]
May 02, 2023
Parking in Antwerp’s historic city center will be mainly reserved for residents and permit holders from August 1st. Visitors will have to go to parking buildings and underground parking garages or park-and-ride zones, often situated at the edge of the city. Never before has Antwerp taken such a drastic measure to discourage motorists from entering […]
May 02, 2023
Poppy Mobility, D’Ieteren’s shared mobility service, has decided to give its users a choice to pay per kilometer or minute. Until now, the mobility provider only offered a price per minute. Now it is also possible to choose to pay per kilometer. The new formula, with a well-thought-out rate of 0,95 euro/km, reduces the stress […]
April 28, 2023
In Flanders, speed pedelecs are only allowed on towpaths being part of a bicycle highway. However, according to the new policy vision on towpaths, Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters Open Vld) has agreed with the Flemish Waterway (Vlaamse Waterweg), those fast-riding e-bikes will get access to all towpaths in Flanders, provided they respect the maximum […]
April 27, 2023
Last year, for the first time since its existence, the ombudsperson office for train passengers reported more complaints about international train traffic than domestic traffic. That is what the 2022 annual report of Ombudsrail indicates. In 2022, Ombudsrail received 3 395 files for which it is responsible, compared to 2 665 one year before. Almost […]
April 26, 2023
On Tuesday, waste processing company Renewi officially inaugurated its new plastics sorting line in the port of Ghent (Belgium). A 20-million-euros investment to increase European recycling rates and accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Present at the inauguration were, among others, Federal Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) and Ghent Mayor Mathias De […]
April 26, 2023
Maritime contractor Jan De Nul has been indicated to pull the cables for the Thor project, Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm. The company announced the news on Tuesday. Jan De Nul was awarded the contract together with partner Hellenic Cables. The latter will design and manufacture all cables in Greece; Jan De Nul will perform […]
April 25, 2023
The Belgian government wants to conclude an agreement with Norway on a CO2 pipeline that connects Belgium to the Norwegian CO2 storage facilities. That is what the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) discussed with his Norwegian colleague Jonas Gahr Støre during their visit to the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Ghent. Ghent already […]
April 24, 2023
Every year, air pollution causes more than 1 200 premature deaths among minors in Europe. That is what the European Environmental Agency (EEA) states in its latest report. The report relates to about 30 countries on the continent, including the 27 member states of the European Union. The results show that the still high air […]
April 21, 2023
The self-driving shuttles riding around on the domain of the Terhills Resort in Maasmechelen are now completely autonomous. The presence of a safety steward is no longer needed. The shuttle project is unique in Belgium and exceptional in Europe. The vehicles were officially introduced in May last year in the presence of the Flemish Ministers […]
April 20, 2023
Employer and employee representatives within the Belgian National Labor Council have agreed on a mandatory bicycle allowance of €0,27/km, with a maximum of 40 kilometers per day. The new regulation will take effect from May 1st, although last year, one in three employers already paid a bicycle allowance. In 2022, 29% of Belgian employers paid […]
April 19, 2023
Fitness center chain Basic-Fit and PowerGo have joined forces to realize charging solutions at about 450 Basic-Fit locations in Belgium and the Netherlands. PowerGo will install standard and fast chargers, where drivers of electric cars can charge their vehicles with 100% green electricity. The first location in Belgium will be Basic-Fit Brussels in Jette; in […]
April 19, 2023
The number of people killed in traffic in the Netherlands has increased by more than one-quarter, despite the growing number of safety systems in cars. According to the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, CBS), the number of traffic deaths is the highest since 2008. Last year, 737 road deaths were […]
April 17, 2023
Last year, more than 4 700 serious or fatal accidents ended with a hit-and-run. A record number in ten years. According to the Belgian traffic safety institute Vias, most victims were cyclists (21%) and pedestrians ‘14%). Fortunately, the vast majority of perpetrators were identified. Vias pleads to step up the fight against drunk driving and […]
April 14, 2023
Saturday, April 15th, will be a historical day for Germany. After more than sixty years, the nuclear era will come to an end. Precisely at midnight, the last three nuclear reactors in the country will shut down. Isar 2 in Bavaria, Emsland in Lower Saxony, and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württembergare are the last three reactors […]
April 13, 2023
On Wednesday, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new tailpipe emission limits that could require as much as 67% of all new vehicles sold in the US by 2023 to be fully electric. “A very ambitious proposal,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan called it. The proposed limits are considered the country’s most aggressive climate regulations, […]
April 12, 2023
Last year, wind and solar energy generated 12% of electricity worldwide – a new record. Still, the share of renewables remains smaller than that of coal. That is the conclusion of the global energy think tank Ember. The organization recently published its fourth ‘Global Electricity Review’ based on the open data of the electricity sector […]
April 12, 2023
Nine years after the closure of the Ford automobile factory, vehicles are being assembled again in Genk (Limburg). In November, Rhenus Automotive will start assembling John Deere agricultural vehicles: tractors, riding mowers, and off-road vehicles. In the coming months, several million will be invested in infrastructure and assembly lines. Precise figures are not mentioned yet, […]
April 11, 2023
The greening of the van fleet is progressing slowly. That is why Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter (Groen) wants to make electric vans more tax-efficient. De Sutter pleads for a temporary increase of the tax deductibility from 8 to 40 percent. In other words, a self-employed person or SME buying an environmentally friendly van […]
April 06, 2023
Dredging and marine engineering companies DEME and Jan De Nul, and Aertssen Group in JV Terranova, specialized in infrastructure works, join forces with energy providers Luminus and Nippon Gases to build and exploit a production unit for green hydrogen in Zelzate. The companies have established a new partnership Terranova Hydrogen NV. The three companies will […]
April 05, 2023
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), has ambitious plans. In her most recent bicycle policy plan, she expects Flemish citizens to hop on the bike for more than 30% of their daily journeys. To achieve that goal, Peeters is willing to invest at least 300 million euros a year. Peeters’ previous bicycle policy […]
April 04, 2023
Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) is fed up with the problems at the technical car inspection centers. That is why she wants to engage certified garages for the re-inspection of passenger cars. Today, these re-inspections take place in the 43 accredited inspection centers. In the summer of 2022, Minister Peeters decided to organize […]
April 03, 2023
D’Ieteren’s shared mobility service, Poppy Mobility, will double its fleet in Antwerp to meet growing demand. By the end of spring, 450 new red cars will be driving around in the city of Antwerp, on top of the 450 shared cars that are already available now. “The expansion of our fleet will allow us to […]
March 31, 2023
Last year, a record number of drivers in Belgium were fined for speeding. The number of fines went up from 4,9 million in 2021 to 6,2 million in 2022 (+27%) – that is no less than 16 980 per day or 707 per hour. An explanation for this spectacular increase is to be found in […]
March 30, 2023
Private jet flights in Europe reached record levels last year – most of which were ultra-short journeys. As a result, the number of private jet flights increased by 64% last year, reaching a record high of 572 806. Together, they emitted 3,4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. In Belgium alone, private flights more than […]
March 29, 2023
Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB has ordered 70 articulated electric buses from EvoBus GmbH, a German bus and coach manufacturer and a subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, headquartered in Stuttgart (Germany). That is what MIVB/STIB announced on Tuesday. Belgian factories of Van Hool and VDL Roeselare missing the bus in this case… The buses will […]
March 29, 2023
Negotiators from the European Parliament, the European Council, and the European Commission have reached an agreement on the rollout of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. Drivers of electric cars must be able to charge their vehicles every sixty kilometers on the main European thoroughfares. However, the text still has to get the final approval of […]
March 28, 2023
Seven out of a hundred Belgian drivers admit to watching video films behind the wheel at least once a month. That is what a recent survey traffic safety institute Vias organized among 6 000 Belgians revealed. In Flanders, 5% of car drivers say they sometimes watch a video in the car; in Wallonia, it is […]
March 28, 2023
Some thirty movable bridges across Flanders must be replaced by 2030 with a public-private partnership (PPP). Prior to the start of the works, the Flemish Waterway will start a market survey to present the approach to the sector. The Flemish Waterway wants to have all its movable structures (bridges, locks, weirs, and pumping installations) remote-controlled […]
March 27, 2023
The French traffic safety organization, Sécurité Routière, has decided to phase out average speed checks. According to some French media, they would be too expensive to maintain, although a motorists’ organization questions that. The oldest installations, which appeared in 2012, would even need replacement. Average speed checks are no typical French phenomenon. They’re frequently used […]
March 24, 2023
Belgian bus builder Van Hool has signed a contract with Qbuzz, public transport operator in the Netherlands, for the delivery of 54 battery-electric buses. Earlier, news broke that Qbuzz also ordered 63 e-buses from Ebusco. The buses will be used for regional passenger transport in the Dutch provinces of Groningen and Drenthe. Qbuzz has decided […]
March 24, 2023
The city of Amsterdam is planning to reduce the speed of electric bicycles to 20 kilometers per hour to improve road safety. Introducing a maximum speed should tackle the increasing number of accidents with e-bikes. According to a 2021 AT5 survey among 1 900 inhabitants (AT5 is a local television station in Amsterdam), 75% of […]
March 23, 2023
Dutch rail is struggling with a badger plague. The animals often nest near and under railway tracks, which today is the case at forty locations, particularly in the eastern part of the country. After acute difficulties in Friesland, the animals are now causing problems between Eindhoven and Den Bosch. Rail manager ProRail fears that the […]
March 22, 2023
The port of Ghent (North Sea Port) and shipping company DFDS have joined forces. Together, they have inaugurated a new freight train connection to transport 8 000 containers annually to and from Lyon. Now, there is a new multimodal connection between Sweden, Belgium, and France. Freight train operator Lineas will initially run the train three […]
March 21, 2023
If it were up to Audi, we would all have a flowerpot in our car. That is why the premium car brand introduces the ‘car plant’, an absolute first for the renewed Audi Q8 e-tron. With this innovation, Audi responds to the needs of almost one in four car owners (24%) who would like to […]
March 21, 2023
To keep global warming below 1,5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must go down immediately. This means no more greenhouse gases may be released than can be restored or removed from the atmosphere. That is the alarming conclusion of the latest report of the IPCC, the climate panel of the United Nations. “The most important message is […]
March 20, 2023
Mobility is a basic right, but for (partially) blind people, the road is, unfortunately – literally – littered with obstacles. That is why the Braille League wants to raise awareness about mobility among blind and visually impaired people. The organization, therefore, has organized a large-scale survey among about 700 respondents and is repeating its sensitizing […]
March 17, 2023
The French oil and gas concern TotalEnergies sells all its gas stations in Germany and the Netherlands – almost 1 600 – to Alimentation Couche-Tard, the Canadian multinational operator of convenience stores, offering a wide variety of products for people on the go. In Belgium and Luxembourg, TotalEnergies is the market leader with 619 gas […]
March 16, 2023
Eight out of ten young people in Flanders are in favor of zero tolerance for alcohol behind the wheel. Almost 17% do not support such a proposal. That is what a survey by mobility organization VAB revealed. Earlier this month, the European Commission proposed a total alcohol ban for new drivers. Novice drivers should not […]
March 16, 2023
Between 2019 and today, the Flemish government added 234 average speed checks on 136 locations. This year, another 194 controls are planned on 109 locations. According to Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), they’re a “concrete and effective measure to reduce the number of accidents”. Excessive speed is one of the biggest killers in […]
March 15, 2023
Global warming is causing more and more extreme weather conditions. According to the Dutch weather and climate institute KNMI (Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut), 2022 was the driest and sunniest year ever registered since the beginning of the measuring. According to KNMI’s latest report, ‘The State of our Climate’, the summer of 2022 got 17% more […]
March 15, 2023
The planned connection between the Belgian and Danish energy islands will be delayed. The Danish authorities estimate that the project will be finalized by 2033 and not in 2030. Nevertheless, Minister for Energy Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) is planning a meeting with her (new) Danish colleague Lars Aagaard (Moderates) to shorten that period. Denmark […]
March 14, 2023
Brussels Expo and photovoltaic cell provider EnergyVision put more than 11 000 solar panels into use on Monday. With a capacity of 4,7 MWp, Brussels Expo has become one of the largest solar farms in the Brussels Region. Previously, that honor was reserved for the Gare Maritime and the surrounding buildings. The solar system’s construction […]
March 14, 2023
The die is cast: the so-called ‘three-country train’ will finally be welcome on Belgian territory. As of December, the train will connect three countries: every hour, a train will run between Liège (Belgium), Maastricht (the Netherlands), and Aachen (Germany). The plans for the three-country train – a Dutch initiative – go back to 2016, when […]
March 13, 2023
Flemish Mobility Minister, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), wants to install solar panels on the unused land of The Agency for Roads and Traffic (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) to generate renewable energy and reduce AWV’s high electricity bill. The last invoice amounted to no less than 45 million euros. The energy will mainly be used […]
March 13, 2023
Today, one in 500 Belgian employees has a mobility budget (MOB). Their number almost doubled in one year: from 0,10% in 2021 to 1,18% in 2022. With the federal mobility budget, employees exchange their (right to a) company car for a budget they can use to organize their own mobility sustainably. Given the limited absolute […]
March 10, 2023
A new study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung, IFEU), commissioned by Transport & Environment (T&E) reveals that the European Union wastes millions of hectares of fertile cropland for the production of biofuels. Crops for biofuels consumed in Europe require 9,6 Mha of land – an area larger […]
March 10, 2023
The MIUNIK Salt concept from German design firm ID Design is a lightweight, maneuverable, and practical electric motorcycle. It is built on a modular platform and intended for the urban dweller. The vehicle’s aim is to provide a multi-faceted user experience thanks to a very deliberate design that can be mixed and matched to suit […]
March 09, 2023
The construction of rush-hour lanes on the E313 between Beringen and Ham (Limburg) in the direction of Antwerp will start on Friday. Temporary road signs will be installed, and the actual works at exit complex 25a Tessenderlo will start on Saturday. Entrances and exits in Tessenderlo toward Antwerp will be renewed before the summer. The […]
March 09, 2023
The Belgian marine engineering companies DEME and Jan De Nul and engineering office Tractebel have jointly developed new floating solar technology capable of operating in harsh marine conditions. This summer, they will set up a test installation off the Belgian coast for experiments. SEAVOLT, as the project is called, combines the expertise of solar, environmental, […]
March 08, 2023
Women’s lifestyles are less polluting than men’s, but the ‘fair sex’ is more often the victim of climate change. That is the remarkable conclusion of an economist consulted by the French international news agency AFP. A nice little tidbit to reveal on March 8th, International Women’s Day, focusing on issues such as gender (in)equality. “Even […]
March 07, 2023
Anyone bragging about street racing or driving excessively fast on social media or TikTok should be severely fined. At least, that’s Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet’s opinion. Gilkinet (Ecolo) proposes penalties of up to 1 000 euros and/or one year without a driver’s license. Excessive speed has always been considered one of the major killers in […]
March 03, 2023
Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose by under 1% in 2022, which is less than initially feared. The growth of solar, wind, EVs, heat pumps, and energy efficiency helped limit the impacts of increased use of coal and oil amid the global energy crisis. That is the conclusion of a recent analysis, ‘CO2 Emissions in […]
March 02, 2023
The European Commission wants to introduce a universal digital driver’s license. It should be accessible on smartphones and other digital devices, and it should be easier to replace or renew someone’s license. Such a digital document, issued nationally, should be recognized throughout Europe. According to the Commission, youngsters in the EU should be able to […]
March 02, 2023
Flemish public transport company De Lijn refuses the city of Ghent’s request to no longer remove bus stops. De Lijn counters that by saying it is adapting its bus network to the principles of ‘basic accessibility’ and that stops can disappear and be added elsewhere. “The idea is to strengthen public transport where demand is […]
March 01, 2023
Dredging companies DEME and Jan De Nul, world leaders in dredging and constructing offshore wind farms, are joining forces to create the energy island that will be built off the Belgian coast. Both Belgian companies – eternal competitors but now united in a new consortium called TM Edison – have won the tender for constructing […]
March 01, 2023
Flemish citizens lose fifteen months of healthy life due to exposure to fine particles in the air. That is the disturbing conclusion of Statistiek Vlaanderen, the Flemish governmental agency network that develops statistics. Due to air pollution, in 2021, 153 healthy life years were lost (per 10 000 inhabitants) in the Flemish region, 10 000 […]
February 28, 2023
The construction of new wind farms at sea risks being delayed, reports research company BloombergNEF. The reason for the delay is the shortage of large vessels used for the installation of wind turbine foundations on the ocean floor. Offshore energy is considered a crucial alternative to fossil fuels. It should help reduce CO2 emissions and […]
February 27, 2023
Almost two-thirds of drivers (65%) in Britain believe aggressive cyclists and motorists are putting lives at risk. Of over 2 000 drivers surveyed, the majority of respondents claimed that both aggressive motorists (78%) and aggressive cyclists (65%) are a threat to their personal safety. That is the conclusion of a recent survey commissioned by road […]
