Public consultation from 8 November to 7 December

A public consultation will be held from 8 November to 7 December 2025 on the Ventilus project, as part of the environmental permit applications.

These applications, submitted by our teams in late September, have been declared complete and admissible by the administration. During this period, anyone is free to submit views, comments, and/or objections.

We are also holding seven information sessions in November along the entire 82-kilometer Ventilus route to inform people about the project. Local residents will receive a personal letter inviting them to attend.

In addition, we will present a digital tool providing an accurate representation of the project's impact. 

A missing link in our grid

The Ventilus connection is a missing link in the Belgian high-voltage grid and will ensure a more robust grid and a more reliable electricity system. It will run from the landfall point – where energy generated offshore is brought onshore – to Avelgem, a distance of 82 kilometers. A quarter (21 km) will consist of a new overhead line, while existing overhead lines will be upgraded or reused on a large part of the route. 

Around 60 new high-voltage pylons will be built, and 10 kilometers will be laid underground. The Ventilus project is vital for bringing new wind power generated in the North Sea onshore. Ventilus will also reinforce the electricity grid, which is necessary for the further industrial development of West Flanders as well as security of supply for households and businesses.  

Following approval of the Regional Land Use Plan (GRUP) by the Flemish Government, we were required to prepare and submit the environmental permit application. 

Five environmental permit applications

The sheer scale of Ventilus (entailing numerous application documents and plans) means that there are five environmental permit applications, each covering a part of the 82-kilometre route: 

• Beach-Gezelle (from landfall to the first high-voltage substation, Gezelle in Bruges, which is being extended)
• Gezelle
• Gezelle-Izegem (a combination of an upgrade to the existing overhead line, a new underground cable, and a new overhead line along the E403)
• Izegem (the second high-voltage station to be expanded)
• Izegem-Avelgem (existing line to be reinforced)

Seven information sessions

To keep everyone properly informed, we are organising seven information sessions during the public consultation, at various locations along the route. Each session will last from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone wishing to attend must register in advance by email, telephone or using a QR code on the invitation.

• Tuesday, November 4 in Bruges
• Wednesday, November 5 in Zedelgem
• Thursday, November 13 in Deerlijk
• Monday, November 17 in Ardooie
• Tuesday, November 18 in Kachtem (Izegem)
• Wednesday, November 19 in Lichtervelde
• Tuesday, November 25 in Kuurne

At the information sessions, we will provide more information about Ventilus, how an underground cable or overhead line is installed, the compensation for households living, for example, in the immediate vicinity of the new 380-kV overhead line, and the compensation for businesses and farmers. 

We will also present the new update to our Project Atlas at these events. The Project Atlas includes visual representations of the overhead lines based on the actual location of the high-voltage pylons. These give an impression of the impact on the surrounding area.

For the high-voltage substations and terminal towers, the Project Atlas also clearly shows the landscaping measures (e.g. green buffer) that will be implemented. The Project Atlas is publicly available to everyone via https://elia.projectatlas.app/ventilus or through the “interactive map” tab.