Flanders and North Rhine-Westphalia to reinforse collaboration on energy and climate
The Flemish government is said to reinforce its collaboration regarding energy and climate with the government of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Both governments agreed on this on Tuesday during a cabinet meeting in Düsseldorf.
Flanders has been working closely with the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia in various areas for a while now.
Inspired by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the impact of that war, both governments have decided to team up in regard to their energy and climate policy. Flanders and North Rhine-Westphalia both want to become less dependent on the import of Russian natural gas by focusing more on liquefied natural gas (LNG). With its connection to the cross-border gas pipeline network and its existing LNG terminal, the Flemish port of Zeebrugge already provides a huge advantage in this matter.
Both governments also want to focus more on hydrogen as alternative fossil fuels. The aim is to collaborate more on the import and transit of hydrogen, research and innovation. Furthermore, they want to explore opportunities for cooperation in the field of carbon capture, utilization and storage.
‘The governments take this global crisis in their stride,’ says Flemish Prime Minister, Jan Jambon. ‘The goal is to anchor the energy security and independence of our economies and thereby the prosperity of our citizens.’
‘We are striving for a climate pact in which we want to join forces around the themes of liquefied gas, hydrogen, electricity grids and CO2 capture,’ added Hendrik Wüst, Minister President of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Ⓒ BELGA PHOTO- Malte Krudewig
29 March 2022, North Rhine-Westphalia, Duesseldorf: Press statement by Minister-President Henrik Wüst (r), Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Minister-President Jan Jambon (l), Minister-President of Flanders, give a press statement in the Ständehaus at a joint cabinet meeting of the governments of North Rhine-Westphalia and Flanders.