While a joint venture in which Engie has a 50% stake admitted to being awarded more than €600,000 in Flemish subsidies, the energy utility denied pocketing the funds, explaining they were meant for the joint venture's customers.
De Standaard, Het Nieuwsblad and Gazet van Antwerpen reported on Friday that Engie was awarded €609,497 in subsidies for a green energy project. This was seen as striking, given the billions of euros in profit that the company stands to make, due to high energy prices.
Engie confirmed the numbers, but said the subsidies were awarded to the Engie Sun4Business joint venture, in which it has a 50% stake.
The joint venture installs solar panels at businesses via a so-called third-party investor solution: Engie Sun4Business takes care of financing, installation and maintenance; the client company - where the solar panels are to be installed - purchases the electricity.
However, the requested subsidies are intended for the client company, according to a spokesperson. "We apply for the subsidies, but they go to the customers as a discount," the spokesperson said.
The subsidies - awarded by the Flemish Energy and Climate Agency, VEKA - were requested, according to Engie, for eight solar installations at companies, which were awarded through an auction system based on the cost efficiency of the proposals.
However, the Groen party says it has major questions about the subsidies.
"While the Vivaldi government is doing everything it can to skim off huge profits, today it appears as if the Jambon government is doing the opposite and even subsidising the energy giant," Groen co-chairman Jeremie Vaneeckhout said. "In the meantime, millions of Flemish people are left in the cold. That is inexplicable."
