Securing
the energy supply
of today and tomorrow

Our entire society — especially the economy, not to mention our personal comfort — depends heavily on a stable energy supply. To secure this energy supply, the Benelux Union is committed to creating a European internal energy market, in which the promotion of renewable energy sources plays a central role.

In this time of energy crisis, it is very important that our countries help each other as much as possible and facilitate the transition toward a sustainable, more resilient and reliable energy system. These efforts should be based on the development of renewable energy sources, and the end result must be total security of supply. The Benelux offers the necessary synergies and acts as a platform for cooperation between partners.

Benelux: the home of regional energy cooperation

Axis of regional energy solidarity

Organisations such as the Pentalateral Energy Forum established in 2005, of which the Benelux holds the secretariat, serve as important tools to strengthen regional cooperation in the field of energy supply. The forum is a political partnership between authorities, regulators, network operators and market actors, and its members include Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The question of how energy supplies can be secured in the future is one of the core issues addressed by the forum. The energy ministers in question meet regularly to develop initiatives to help finalise the European internal energy market.

North Sea cooperation

In recent years, the North Sea has become a major player in offshore wind energy. Dozens of wind farms now line the North Sea coast, from Normandy to Norway, providing us a very important source of green energy. Even so, for a long time, adequate infrastructure to transport and distribute this offshore electricity was lacking. The North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) aims to address this issue by improving cooperation between nine countries bordering the North Sea. The Benelux supports the day-to-day operations of the NSEC.

Benelux-Hydrogen partnership

Hydrogen is emerging as the ultimate environmentally friendly energy source of the future. The Benelux is also facilitating cooperation in this area, including through certification of green hydrogen, the roll-out of hydrogen filling stations, and by exploring the potential of hydrogen-powered inland navigation. A co-financed study has been set up to facilitate the introduction of hydrogen as a backbone in the Benelux and its neighbouring regions. The aim is to analyse the demand and requirements for import, transport, storage and distribution infrastructure up to 2050.

Stepping up European ambitions to accelerate the energy transition

Given the new geopolitical realities of the energy market, we need to greatly accelerate the transition to clean energy. Doing so will help reduce Europe’s energy dependence on unreliable suppliers and leave us less dependent on fossil fuels. At the same time, shifting towards clean energy will enable us to take important measures to limit global warming.

Our experts are at your service