Elia Belgian Power Grid Operator Appoints New Future CEO

Elia’s Board of Directors  approved the appointment of Jacques Vandermeiren as the future CEO and Chairman of Elia’s Executive Committee. He will assume his new positions in the second half of 2012.

Speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors, Chairman Luc Van Nevel thanked Daniel Dobbeni for all the work he did as part of Elia’s management team over the last nine years. “Elia made its largest advances under Daniel Dobbeni’s leadership, including the IPO in 2005, the first market coupling in Europe with the creation of Belpex in 2006, and the acquisition of 50Hertz Transmission in 2010“.

The Board is delighted to welcome the new CEO, Jacques Vandermeiren (48) who earned a degree in law from the Catholic University of Leuven, before attending the Vlerick School and INSEAD.

About Elia
Elia is the Belgian transmission system operator, transmitting electricity from generators to distribution system operators and major industrial users and being responsible for importing and exporting electrical energy to and from Belgium’s neighbouring countries. Elia owns the entire Belgian very-high-voltage grid(150 to 380 kV) and some 94% (ownership and user rights) of Belgium’s high-voltage grid infrastructure (30 to 70 kV).

Besides the onshore grid, Elia also has interest in future offshore grid development in the North Sea. This new concept was elaborated in consultation with the project developers for the wind farms off the Belgian coast and is based on a gradual development of a closely intermeshed grid at sea. The steps in this process coincide with the scheduled commissioning of the concessions that have been granted off the Belgian coast.This offshore grid would have the same benefits in terms of reliability as the onshore grid, due to its intermeshed structure, optimisation of investments and fewer subsea cable lines to the coast and the onshore grid.

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Offshore Nieuws Staff , November, 25 2011; Image: Elia