The Walloon government decided on 12 October 2026 to confirm the need for new electricity transmission infrastructure between Avelgem and Courcelles in Belgium and to identify a preferred corridor for the next stage of the Boucle du Hainaut project, according to grid operator Elia.
Elia says the project is meant to relieve congestion on the national and Hainaut networks, strengthen transmission capacity between Flanders and Wallonia, and help integrate new onshore and offshore renewable generation. The corridor follows an environmental impact report that compared options by their effect on people, agriculture, landscape and environment, along with technical criteria.
The decision is not the end of the procedure. The revision of the sector plan now goes to statutory consultation, with a public inquiry planned for early 2027. The government will then set the final boundaries of the reservation perimeter. Only after that can a planning permit application be filed, under a separate procedure with further consultation.
Elia said it is aware of local concerns and will keep talking to municipalities, residents and farmers. It aims to commission the line in 2032-2033. The project is relevant to Baltic readers as an example of how long grid reinforcement for offshore wind takes in North Sea countries, a timeline that offshore grid planners around the Baltic also face.
