How do I know which subsidies are applicable?
Most often you don't, but we do. Whether your investment(s) are eligble for subsidies depends on the specifics (including size!) of the project, which type of company you are (SME/large enterprise), how innovative your ideas are, and so on. Make sure your project is clearly outlined and it is clear to what purpose you want to invest. Financial incentives alone are most often a bad starting point.
In any case Mantis Consulting can help you find the most appropriate solution, using subsidies as a leverage on your investment. Below we summarize the most important Flemish subsidy regulations for you.
Certificates for green electricity and cogeneration
In the past decade the certificates for green electricity (GC) and cogeneration (CC) have been an important driver of investments in renewable energy in Belgium/Flanders.
The operator of the energy production installation receives financial support (in the form of certificates) per MWh of energy produced (GC), or per MWh of primary energy saved (CC).
The certificate scheme distinguishes between a number of predefined project categories, each of which can receive a different level of support.
Nonetheless, the government prefers to phase out the GC and CC certificate scheme and is in favor of expanding the existing tendering procedures.
Investment support through tendering procedures
In the future, the government wants to support renewable energy production mainly through investment support instead of operating support - such as the GC and CC schemes. In the tendering procedures only the best performing projects are selected and supported within the predefined budgets. I.e. the projects with the lowest cost per MWh of energy production and per ton CO2 avoided are selected. Moreover, the risk of derailing budgets is low.
The main tenders are the "call green electricity" and the "call green heat", for which applications can only be submitted during the call period.
The 'green electricity call' targets investments in new installations for solar energy and small to mid scale land based wind turbines.
The ‘call green heat’ supports large scale investments in green heat (biomass, solar, geothermal and heat pumps), residual/waste heat recuperation and heat grids.
Want to stay informed on the call periods? Follow us on LinkedIn.
Other financial incentive schemes
There are numerous other support mechanisms. For example, other investment support through 'Ecological investments', support for innovation projects (either local or European), cofinancing of strategic advice, grid operator subsidies, energy subsidies specifically for agriculture, both municipalities and the provinces have their own specific support mechanisms, and so on.
The GC, CC and other subsidy legislation can be quite complex, and there is a multitude of possibilities. Mantis is the first point of contact for foreign RE investors to offer support in their financial planning.
