Entrepreneurs also divided about Ventilus
They are a lot cheaper and can be installed by 2030. Hans Maertens, Voka: “Because we think that this is the most realistic, feasible and affordable route that can be implemented in the relatively short term. We need to achieve support. That is why it is necessary for everyone to sit around the table, with financial compensation , possibility to move and a future covenant.”
The employer and sector federations are on the same wavelength as ELIA. For the grid operator, an overhead high-voltage line is the only alternative to Ventilus. But by no means all West Flemish companies and enterprises support the position of VOKA and co. For example, there is a West Flemish entrepreneurs’ platform of eighty companies, all of which prefer an underground DC power cable. Sofie Vandenbriele, Ventilus Ondergronds entrepreneur platform: “It can be done underground, there are studies. Health is important not only for us but also for the employees.”