Editorial
Gone are the days when the energy transition was talked about in the future tense! The change has been underway for several years already. This annual report shows the new face of the energy sector. The changes are clear to everyone: every customer in Brussels now has a public charging point within 250 metres of their home. All 19 Brussels municipalities are supplied with rich gas. Innovations in smart street lighting, such as bubble lighting, are beginning to appear. New forms of green and/or local energy sharing are available to Brussels customers.
The Brussels Region has adopted an ambitious roadmap for climate objectives and carbon neutrality: a shift away from thermal mobility, renovation of buildings and the end of heating oil, to name but a few. Sibelga actively supports their implementation. In the short term, we need to address three main challenges:
- Facilitate local renewable energy production, in particular through energy communities
- Ensure the transition to sustainable mobility, which will be largely electric
- And, last but not least, prepare the future of heating in Brussels
We are not working alone. Sibelga is a link at the heart of a value chain with, upstream, energy producers and suppliers and, downstream, customers, who are asked to play an increasingly active role. The regulator, Brugel, is another key stakeholder. Only by joining forces can we achieve an inclusive energy transition for all Brussels customers.
Moreover, how can we look back at 2022 without mentioning the energy crisis we are currently facing? In this context, our role in guaranteeing reliable and quality access to energy for all Brussels customers is all the more essential. More than a quarter of Brussels households are affected by fuel poverty according to the latest barometer of the King Baudouin Foundation. The new ordinance on the organisation of the gas and electricity markets in the Brussels-Capital Region, published in April 2022, has also introduced extended protection measures for Brussels customers affected by fuel poverty.
Faced with this situation, our role as energy advisor is more relevant than ever, both for the public authorities through the RenoClick programme, and for private individuals through various tools such as the Energuide magazine or our website.
Finally, Sibelga is actively involved in energy efficiency efforts and, as a public company, is setting an example by reducing its energy consumption and making its fleet greener, for example.
All these elements form the backdrop to Sibelga’s achievements in 2022. We have divided this annual report into four chapters. The first three chapters reflect the three main focus areas of our strategy:
- Integrating new uses in networks and markets
- Facilitating the energy transition for all customers
- Making internal changes for ever greater efficiency
The fourth chapter explores Sibelga’s actions for the safety and well-being of its staff, the environment and support for social causes. These strong commitments, enshrined in our Environmental, Social and Governance policy, actually cover all our activities and projects.
We look forward to building tomorrow’s energy landscape with you!
Inne Mertens,
CEO Sibelga
Faouzia Hariche,
Chair of the Board of Directors
