While the risk of Belgium running out of natural gas is extremely low, the expected shortages in neighboring countries are already driving up gas prices in Belgium, which is very damaging for industry and therefore for our economy. “I fear that we will have much less industrial production this winter, as companies will no longer be able to pay energy prices and decide to temporarily stop production.assures Joannes Laveyne, energy researcher at UGent, who estimates that 55% of gas consumption in Belgium is used by families. “So it makes sense to economize on this, he continues. For the industry, it is more difficult. They use gas as a raw material for chemical processes or to produce high temperature heat. It cannot be immediately replaced by alternatives. Some companies can switch to liquid fuels, but this possibility is limited. I fear that we will have much less industrial production this winter, as companies will no longer be able to bear the energy prices and will decide to temporarily stop production.”
For the industrial sector, it is therefore important to save energy today. “Given the situation, we must continue to tell companies to save every kilowatt hour, says Peter Claes, director of Febeliec, the federation of industrial energy consumers. We must be thrifty and do everything we can. We can reduce the temperature in certain places, be self-sufficient in energy, turn off the lights if there is no one in the room, even if this can reduce productivity in certain cases and as long as safety is ensured.