2024-02-20 10:30:28
While the Belgian energy mix is dominated by imported fossil fuels, electrification represents a central aspect of Belgium’s efforts towards the energy transition. To cope with this, the phase-out of nuclear power planned for 2025 was postponed by ten years while awaiting the massive deployment of solar and wind energy.
The Belgian energy mix is dominated by imported fossil fuels. In 2022, according to the latest figures from the IEA (International Energy Agency), oil represented 36% of the country’s total energy supply, followed by natural gas (25%) and coal (5%). . Most of the demand for fossil fuels comes from industry and transportation, but buildings also account for a notable share of gas as well as oil. “Due to the high share of fossil fuels in its energy supply, Belgium has seen only limited reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in recent years”analyzes the IEA.
Nuclear power represents more than 22% of the country’s supply. In 2003, the federal government committed to phasing out most nuclear electricity production by 2025. However, following the war in Ukraine and the goals of reducing dependence on fossil fuels, an agreement was reached at the end of last year to extend the nuclear capacity of two reactors for ten years.
Belgium has a wide range of energy and climate objectives for 2030. For this deadline, the country is aiming for a 47% reduction in greenhouse gases (excluding ETS: emissions trading system) by compared to 2005. The country supports the carbon neutrality of the European Union by 2050 and has adopted its own long-term energy and climate strategy. The main measures focus on reducing energy demand and increasing the deployment of renewable energy, particularly for power generation and transport.
According to Elia, the manager of the Belgian electricity transmission network, the year 2023 is historic for renewable energies since photovoltaic and wind production reached a historic record of 21.5 TWh (terawatt-hour), an increase of 23 % compared to 2022. These renewable energies now constitute 28.2% of the electricity mix, compared to 19.8% the previous year. “Installed onshore wind (+10%) and photovoltaic (+31%) production capacities have further increased, but no increase in the production capacity of offshore wind farms is planned before 2028”declares Elia.
After installing an offshore wind farm with a total capacity of 2.26 gigawatts in one area of the North Sea, the federal government has decided to develop offshore wind capacity in a second area. The objective is to achieve additional production of up to 3.5 GW, which should make it possible to reach a capacity of between 5.4 and 5.8 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030 at the latest.
Electricity consumption must increase by 50% by 2032
Electrification represents a central aspect of Belgium’s efforts in favor of the energy transition. In the building and residential sector, regional governments are responsible for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from these sectors by developing heating methods using renewable energies. A wide variety of measures are being put in place, including direct financial support, and emphasis is being placed on moving away from oil heating in favor of heat pumps. New standards for energy efficiency of household appliances are also established.
In the industrial sector, voluntary agreements between regional governments and industry are signed. “They vary by region, but generally focus on audits to identify cost-effective energy efficiency measures; businesses benefiting from tax breaks or other incentives if these measures are implementedobserves the IEA. Voluntary agreements focus on energy-intensive industrial facilities, but there are increasing efforts to include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). »
Despite this forced electrification, electricity consumption in 2023 stood at 78.9 TWh, a historically low figure. According to Elia, this might be explained by particularly high electricity prices due to the international context. “This downward trend is a temporary phenomenon and we expect a sharp increase in electricity consumption in the coming years, declares the Belgian network manager. This future increase is due to the rapid electrification of industrial processes as well as the marked growth in the number of electric cars and heat pumps. Elia projects an increase in consumption of 50% by 2032.”
In terms of transport, renewable energy is also promoted by the obligation for all companies selling fuels for road transport to achieve a certain share of biofuels, in terms of energy content, in their annual fuel sales. . This share currently stands at around 10% and the objective is to increase it to almost 14% by 2030.
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