Earlier this month, Belgium’s future energy landscape reached a new milestone with the kick-off of the GALILEO project. Coordinated by VITO/EnergyVille, this groundbreaking initiative brings together leading academic and industrial players to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time: making the electricity grid more flexible and resilient in the face of rapid decarbonisation. Funded by the Energy Transition Fund, GALILEO promises to unlock the untapped potential of industrial flexibility to drive innovation and sustainability across the country.
The energy transition is evolving rapidly, presenting both challenges and opportunities for the electricity grid and industries. As the share of renewable energy sources grows and electrification continues to expand, the need for a more flexible grid becomes critical to maintaining a stable and secure energy system. Industrial flexibility is recognised as a cornerstone of this transition, providing long-term capacity to ensure security of supply and short-term options to balance the grid. However, realising the full potential of industrial flexibility is hampered by various technical, economic, social, and regulatory barriers.
In addition, industries are under increasing pressure from rising energy procurement costs and the investments required for decarbonisation and electrification. GALILEO aims to address these challenges by focusing on the following key objectives:
- Exploring the potential of industrial flexibility: Refining scenarios to understand how industrial flexibility can improve the Belgian energy system.
- Overcoming barriers: Proposing solutions to adapt current market designs and facilitate the provision of flexibility.
- Innovating energy procurement: Exploring new financial instruments and advanced hedging strategies.
- Supporting robust business cases: Helping industry players maximise the value of their flexibility potential through advanced assessments, scenario building, and market valorisation strategies.
Real-world demonstration cases
To ensure real-world impact, GALILEO integrates academic models with data from five major industrial demonstration cases, representing different energy-intensive sectors:
| Company | Industrial Sector |
| Aperam Stainless Steel Belgium | Steel |
| Nyrstar | Metallurgy |
| Tessenderlo Group | Chemical, Food, Agriculture, Metallurgy, etc. |
| Raffinerie Tirlemontoise | Food |
| LCL | Data Centers |
These demonstration cases will help shape practical insights and guide industry players towards more sustainable and flexible energy solutions.
Shaping the future of industrial flexibility in Belgium
Throughout the project, GALILEO will engage with key Belgian stakeholders through a series of interactive workshops. These sessions will include representatives from different industrial sectors, with the aim of facilitating discussions on the findings and supporting the creation of a comprehensive roadmap for industrial flexibility in Belgium.
As coordinating partner, VITO/EnergyVille is excited to lead this innovative project that not only strengthens Belgium’s position in the energy transition, but also sets a precedent for industrial decarbonisation and electrification across Europe.
