Reform of specific aid for environmental protection and energy use

Reform of specific aid for environmental protection and energy use
réforme aides investissement
From 1 January 2025, the specific aid for environmental protection and energy use will be renamed "GREEN aid". This reform is designed to encourage sustainable investment and strengthen companies' environmental commitments. In addition to the name change, this reform introduces new conditions for access, revised financing levels, a redefinition of eligible investments, a new procedure for settling the premium, and a new premium for cooling units.

The GREEN reforms will introduce several new features from 1 January 2025:

new name

the specific aid for environmental protection and energy use will be renamed "GREEN aid"

access conditions

  • Eligibility of ASBLs with an economic vocation: ASBLs with an economic vocation will now have access to aid.
  • Additional conditions for specific "sustainable energy use" (SEU) aid:
    • Obligatory AMUREBA audit or feasibility study: Companies must undergo an AMUREBA audit or feasibility study in line with AMUREBA methodology, carried out by a certified auditor in accordance with the required procedures. This audit or study must cover the investments presented and is required for the submission of the investment aid application form. AMUREBA audits may be eligible for energy vouchers.
  • This condition is being phased in gradually:

  • Energy savings in the production process:
    • in 2025, for investment programmes over €25,000.
    • in 2026, for all programmes.
  • In the renewable sector:
    • in 2025, for investment programmes over €100,000.
    • in 2026, for all programmes.
  • Installation of energy meters: companies must undertake to install energy meters to measure energy production or savings linked to the investments presented, at the latest by the end of the investment programme.
  • Energy accounting: By the end of the investment programme at the latest, companies must undertake to carry out energy accountancy so that the effects of the investment can be measured objectively.
  • Return on investment time: In terms of energy savings in the production process, investments must have a discounted return on investment time of more than three years, calculated using the AMUREBA methodology.

Investments and financing levels

For environmental protection investments

RATE OF AID

     SME    

LE in outside zone * LE in zone c) * LE in zone a) *

1.    Investments to exceed European Union standards

30%

15%

20%

25%

2.    Investments allowing early adaptation to future European Union standards, provided that the investments are implemented and completed at least 18 months before the standard in question comes into force

15%

     N/A: LEs are not eligible for aid for the early adaptation of a future standard that is already known.

3.    Investments to improve the effective use of resources through:
  • either a net reduction in the non-energy resources consumed to produce a given quantity of output, compared with a pre-existing production process used by the beneficiary;
  • or the replacement of primary raw materials by reused, recovered or recycled secondary raw materials

30%

15%

20%

25%

4.    Investments in the prevention and reduction of waste production, preparation for re-use, decontamination and recycling of waste produced by the beneficiary 

30%

15%

20%

25%

5.    Investments in the collection, sorting, decontamination, pre-treatment and treatment of other products, materials or substances generated by the beneficiary that would otherwise go unused or be used in a less resource-efficient manner.

30%

15%

20%

25%

6.    In the event of ISO14001 certification, and only for investments to support objectives 1) 3) 4) and 5)

35%

17,5%

22,5%

27,5%

7.    In the event of EMAS certification, and only for investments to support objectives 1) 3) 4) and 5)

40%

20%

25%

30%

 

For investments in renewable energy production

     SME LE out of zone GE type c) zone GE type a) zone Maximum threshold
of eligible investment
Wind

]50-100] kW

20%

8%

10%

12%

 5.060 €/kW

]100-1000] kW

20%

8%

10%

12%

 2.750 €/kW

Hydroelectricity

]0-10] kW

20%

8%

10%

12%

 13.970 €/kW

]10-100] kW

20%

8%

10%

12%

 8.910 €/kW

]100-1000] kW

35%

14%

18%

21%

 5.390 €/kW

]1000 kW

20%

8%

10%

12%

 4.400 €/kW

Biomass cogeneration - turbining

]0-1000] kWél

40%

16%

20%

24%

 9.460 €/kW

]1000-3000] kWél

25%

10%

13%

15%

 8.250 €/kW

]3000-5000] kWél

10%

4%

5%

6%

 6.930 €/kW

Biomass cogeneration - gasification

]0-200] kWél

40%

16%

20%

24%

 13.200 €/kW

]200-500] kWél

40%

16%

20%

24%

 10.780 €/kW

]500-1000] kWél

40%

16%

20%

24%

 10.450 €/kW

]1000-5000] kWél

Case-by-case calculation
Biomethanisation - on-site consumption

]10-200] kWél

30%

12%

15%

18%

 13.200 €/kW

]200-600] kWél

30%

12%

15%

18%

 9.240 €/kW

]600-1500] kWél

30%

12%

15%

18%

 8.580 €/kW

]1500-3000] kWél

25%

10%

13%

15%

 7.040 €/kW

]3000 kWél

25%

10%

13%

15%

 6.380 €/kW

Biomethanisation - injection

]0-375] Nm3/h

30%

12%

15%

18%

38.500 €/Nm3/h

]375-750] Nm3/h

30%

12%

15%

18%

29.810 €/Nm3/h

]750 Nm3/h

30%

12%

15%

18%

26.400 €/Nm3/h

Solar thermal

 ]0-20] m2

50%

20%

25%

30%

1.320 €/m2

]20-100] m2

50%

20%

25%

30%

1.210 €/m2

]100-300] m2

50%

20%

25%

30%

1.100 €/m2

]300 m2

50%

20%

25%

30%

990 €/m2

Biomass boiler

]0-100] kW

40%

16%

20%

24%

 1.100 €/kW

]100-300] kW

40%

16%

20%

24%

 880 €/kW

]300-1000] kW

30%

12%

15%

18%

 660 €/kW

]1000-2000] kW

15%

6%

8%

9%

 1.210 €/kW

]2000 kW

Case-by-case calculation

 825 €/kW

Air-to-air heat pump

]0-15] kWth

30%

12%

15%

18%

 990 €/kW

]15-30] kWth

30%

12%

15%

18%

 935 €/kW

]30-45] kWth

30%

12%

15%

18%

 880 €/kW

]45 kWth

10%

4%

5%

6%

 880 €/kW

Air-to-water/water-to-water heat pump

]0-15] kWth

35%

14%

18%

21%

 1.760 €/kW

]15-30] kWth

35%

14%

18%

21%

 1.430 €/kW

]30-45] kWth

35%

14%

18%

21%

 1.320 €/kW

]45 kWth

20%

8%

10%

12%

 1.100 €/kW

Domestic hot water heat pump

]0-15] kWth

10%

4%

5%

6%

 1.540 €/kW

]15-30] kWth

10%

4%

5%

6%

 1.210 €/kW

]30-45] kWth

10%

4%

5%

6%

 1.100 €/kW

]45 kWth

10%

4%

5%

6%

 990 €/kW

Open-system geothermal heat pump

 

30%

12%

15%

18%

 2.860 €/kW

Closed-system geothermal heat pump

 

30%

12%

15%

18%

 3.850 €/kW

Deep geothermal energy

 

35%

14%

18%

21%

Up to €2 million in premiums per project

 

Nature of eligible investments

New subsidisable investments

The Decree of the Walloon Government (DWG) specifies the eligible investments for each renewable energy production sector.

Non-subsidisable investments

The following investments are no longer, or are not, eligible for subsidies:

  • Land
  • Industrial equipment, machinery and installations directly using fossil fuels, including those using natural gas (with the exception of investments that meet the conditions of Article 36, 1a of Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014 of 17 June 2014)
  • Investments to comply with European Union standards already adopted and in force
  • Investments in photovoltaics, biomethanisation with a unit capacity of less than 10 kW and wind power with a unit capacity of less than 50 kW and more than 1,000 kW.
  • Cogeneration investments
    • solid biomass turbines with a nominal unit capacity of more than 5,000 kWel
    • solid biomass by gasification with a nominal unit capacity of more than 5,000 kWel
    • liquid biomass
  • investments in renewable hydrogen production
  • investments in energy savings in the production process, whose discounted return on investment time of less than or equal to three years, calculated using the AMUREBA methodology. 
  • investments in renewable electricity storage

Payment of the grant

The investment threshold for the payment of the first 50% grant instalment is now set at €500,000. When the eligible investment is less than €500,000, the grant is paid in a single instalment once the investment has been completed.

Conditions for payment of the full/balance grant:

  • Proof of having achieved the objectives set out in the convention or decision:
    • Through an AMUREBA performance audit for investments in sustainable energy use.
    • Through an inspection by experts or laboratories for investments in environmental protection.
    • For investments in sustainable energy use:
      • proof of having carried out an AMUREBA audit or feasibility study on the investments presented.
      • proof of having energy meters to enable the objective measurement of the energy impact of the investments presented.
      • proof of energy accounting.

New grant: cooling units

In brief: Aid for the replacement and modernisation of refrigeration systems has been updated following the phasing-in of European requirements to remove refrigerants that have a significant impact on global warming.

Eligible investments:

  • commercial plants over 40 kWth using CO2 or NH3.
  • non-commercial plants over 40 kWth using NH3, CO2 or propane.
  • commercial and non-commercial plants under 40 kWth using CO2, NH3 or propane.
  • energy-efficient counters.
  • energy-monitoring systems installed to monitor cooling units.

Obligation to keep a register: To submit an application for investment aid, it is compulsory to keep a maintenance register (electronic or paper).

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