This Friday followingnoon, the federal government presented its winter energy plan at a press conference. “Our security of supply is not compromised. So we are ready to show solidarity with other European countries if necessary. That is why we are taking additional measures today“said Tinne Van Der Straeten (Groen, Flemish environmentalists), the Minister of Energy. “We don’t have to improvise in the winter“, she added.
Here are the main points of the plan presented by the government, which did not address the issue of oil.
Electricity: request to Engie to maintain the activity of Tihange 2
When it comes to electricity,the government has asked the nuclear operator to extend the operation of Tihange 2 until the winter peak has passed“said the prime minister.”It’s at the AFCN (note: Federal Agency for Nuclear Control) to verify that this can be done in the safest conditions. All producers are advised not to carry out plant maintenance during the winter, or to do it immediately following“, added Alexander De Croo (Open VLD, Flemish Liberals).
It remains to be seen whether this solution will really be feasible. This Thursday, Engie Electrabel announced that an extension of the activity of the Tihange 2 and Doel 3 reactors is not possible for technical and safety reasons. The Doel 3 power plant will be shut down on the night of September 23 to 24 in accordance with the nuclear phase-out law. Tihange 2 is supposed to follow in February.
Until now, the FANC had not commented on the subject since neither the government nor Engie had yet requested a risk analysis. Everything will therefore depend on the Agency’s response.
Remember that Belgium has seven nuclear reactors, spread over two sites: Doel and Tihange.
Gas: no problem according to the government
As for gas, the government gives the same story: no worries. “Today, we are very well protected because we are a ‘hub’ (note: a center). We, our gas imports come from Norway, Great Britain, but also via LNG (note: liquefied natural gas). This is what we want to reinforce to be 100% certain, at all times, that these flows continue to come to Belgium.“, a precise Tinne Van Der Straeten.
Let us first specify that Belgium has an advantage compared to other European countries: we depend very little on Russia for gas. Another clarification: liquefied natural gas, LNG, is a means of transporting natural gas from a producing country to a consuming country without depending on gas pipelines. It is a more flexible method of transport, but also more expensive. “He comes from the Middle East, but also from the United States. It is important that there is this group purchasing platform at European level, which is operationalized to also ensure that there is a diversification of gas deliveries“, indicated Tinne Van Der Straeten. When will this platform be ready?”We are pushing very hard at European level to make it operational in the fall“, answers the minister.
Alexander De Croo indicated that in terms of gas supply, gas contracts with Norway are currently being negotiated. “I will be going personally to Norway at the end of August to discuss a wide range of energy topics, including gas“, he clarified.
Count on the efforts of the Belgians
To ensure the country’s energy security in winter, the government is also counting on the efforts of all Belgians. “We each have a role to play. If we consume less, that means we pay less for energy. If we consume less, that means that it also has an impact on lowering prices. I would like to use this moment to sensitize everyone to use energy in a rational way and to avoid consuming too much energy“, said Alexander De Croo. “11 million little ones is a big one. In the Minister’s plan, communication campaigns will be implemented with federated entities to raise people’s awareness of energy use.“, he added.
The government wants to support neighboring countries
Another objective of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Energy: to help our neighboring countries, in priority France and Germany. When it comes to gas,we import much more than we need today. We export three times more than we need. The more we are protected, the more we show solidarity with our neighboring countries“, a indiqué la ministre Tinne Van Der Straeten.
Same thing for electricity with the request to extend Tihange 2 for the winter. Because in France, for example, part of the nuclear fleet is currently unavailable. “By protecting ourselves, we will help France and help Germany. So we are a small country with two big blocs on the left and on the right, which both have problems, but we are able to help them both. This is why we are now taking additional measures to protect ourselves, to show solidarity with our neighboring countries.“said the Minister of Energy.
What are the sources of electricity production in Belgium?
Here are the energy sources used to generate electricity in 2021, according to Elia, the operator of the high voltage electricity transmission network in Belgium.
And a monthly presentation of the energy sources used each month in Belgium to produce electricity, between 2021 and 2022. You can hover your cursor or finger over the graph to view more details. The data is provided by the Federal Public Service Economy.
*“Thermal – renewable” includes solid and liquid biomass, biogas and renewable waste. “Thermal – non-renewable” includes solid and liquid fossil fuels, natural gas and non-renewable waste. Under “Others” are hydrogen and chemical heat recovery.
Here are some details from the FPS Economy:
The highest electricity production from wind energy was measured in February 2022: 1,831 GWh, or regarding 27.5% of domestic consumption (regarding 6,650 GWh).
The production of electricity from wind and solar energy shows a strong fluctuation (between 389 GWh and 1,831 GWh for wind energy and between 74 GWh and 813 GWh for solar energy during the current year). This is due to their dependence on weather conditions. Peak wind power generation usually occurs during the winter months due to higher average wind speeds. Conversely, the peak of production for solar energy is between late spring and summer due to the longer periods of sunshine.
The drastic decrease in the share of hydroelectricity in the total gross production between April and July 2021 is due to the extension works of the Coo hydroelectric power station.
