Energy solutions for Europe from a town in Belgium

Giải pháp năng lượng cho châu Âu từ thị trấn ở Bỉ - Ảnh 1. — Engineer Jan de Pauw, project developer at Ecopower

Bernadette Vandercammen, 67, lives with her husband in the Belgian city of Eeklo in a three-story house with 13 rooms. However, they pay only 170 euros (about 186 USD) for energy costs per month. The skyrocketing energy prices in Europe have not affected the retired couple. “Thanks to Ecopower,” DER SPIEGEL quoted Vandercammen as saying.

Along with 65,000 other households, the couple is a member of Ecopower, Belgium’s largest energy cooperative. The cooperative produces and supplies green energy to its members at a reasonable cost. Ecopower is small compared to the big players in the industry, but the cooperative is growing in popularity. In 2022, Ecopower had three times as many people wanting to join as it could supply electricity, and Ecopower is currently not accepting any more members.

Ecopower was founded in the town of Eeklo in the north of Flanders, Belgium. Originally, the “Eco” in the cooperative’s name represented the ecological philosophy of its founders. Today, however, the name Ecopower is more associated with the sustainable energy that the cooperative produces. In the midst of the current energy crisis, Ecopower and other cooperatives offer reliability to their customers. While other companies are speculating, raising prices, or abandoning customers, Ecopower continues to provide cheap energy from renewable resources.

“We sign long-term contracts and provide our members with reliable energy at a low price without making much profit,” said Jan de Pauw, project developer at Ecopower. Ecopower is a small, mostly local cooperative. Many of Ecopower’s customers even live in the same areas where the cooperative has installed wind turbines and solar farms.

Ideal natural conditions

According to DER SPIEGEL , Belgium is a leader in setting up energy cooperatives. Part of the reason, Mr. de Pauw said, is that Belgium has the best conditions in Europe for exploiting wind energy, after Denmark. And although it is only a local cooperative, Mr. de Pauw believes that the Ecopower model can provide a more general solution for other large areas of Europe and beyond.

Mr de Pauw stressed that the wind turbines that Ecopower has built locally have not faced much opposition. According to Mr de Pauw, there are “10 times fewer people” who oppose Ecopower’s plans compared to conventional projects. “Even people who are not members of the cooperative accept our projects,” Mr de Pauw said.

Giải pháp năng lượng cho châu Âu từ thị trấn ở Bỉ - Ảnh 2. — Wind turbines outside the town of Eeklo

In recent years, residents in many parts of Europe have resisted local energy projects for fear of negative consequences, hindering the expansion of wind farms. In the German state of Bavaria, local complaints have virtually halted the installation of wind power facilities. In contrast, new wind turbines are constantly being erected in Eeklo. The city now produces more green energy than it consumes.

Sustainable solutions

To convince locals of Ecopower’s merits, Mr. de Pauw held town hall meetings for months to address concerns. Eventually, Ecopower and Eeklo reached a compromise. For each wind turbine they erected, the operator would transfer €5,000 each year to a local fund for climate protection and a similar amount to a community fund for other needs. Ecopower also agreed to pay the salary for 20 years of an engineer who would help Eeklo transition to renewable energy and develop a heating system. That engineer was Mr. de Pauw.

Giải pháp năng lượng cho châu Âu từ thị trấn ở Bỉ - Ảnh 3. — Engineer Jan de Pauw, project developer at Ecopower

Overall, joining Ecopower is not expensive and the cooperative benefits the community. In recent years, Ecopower’s electricity has been only slightly cheaper than other companies, and the project has been primarily about sustainability. But since electricity prices have skyrocketed due to the conflict in Ukraine, Ecopower has proven that it can deliver both.

Replicating the model

The energy cooperative model is gradually becoming popular in Europe. According to DER SPIEGEL , the European Commission (EC) has been looking to add energy cooperatives as a pillar of the European electricity supply since 2019. The EC believes that this model is more locally supportive and a more responsible way to generate energy.

Ecopower is creating a similar association of cooperatives in Europe. In countries like Spain, the UK and Germany, people are joining together in cooperatives to produce energy. In addition to pure cooperatives, there are a growing number of FinCoops, energy companies that customers can invest in to earn dividends.

Giải pháp năng lượng cho châu Âu từ thị trấn ở Bỉ - Ảnh 4. — A plaque next to the Ecopower wind turbine explains the idea behind the cooperative.

Ecopower is also preparing its biggest project yet. Together with 32 other Belgian cooperatives, Ecopower is planning to build an offshore wind park off the Belgian coast that will consist of 240 wind turbines . A call for tenders is underway. The cooperatives will contribute €450 million. If successful, the park will generate enough electricity to power 800,000 homes.

To choose Ecopower as their electricity supplier, Eeklo residents must become members of the cooperative by purchasing one share of Ecopower for €250. Each person can buy up to 20 shares. Ecopower currently has more than 65,000 members, all of whom have the right to vote at the annual general meeting.

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