Belgium May Face Frequent Power Cuts as Major Nuclear Units to Stay Offline

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources India (Delhi, India)--A major part of Belgium may face severe power cuts in the upcoming winter as three nuclear reactors in the country, with an aggregate installed generation capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW), are likely to stay offline.

A dip of almost 50 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity generation per year, equivalent to more than half of Belgium's generation, is anticipated during the period. The country has an installed nuclear power generation base of 5.7 GW, out of which only 2.7 GW is currently operational.

Belgium's transmission system operator Elia (EURONEXT:ELI) (Brussels) has cautioned that energy prices in the country may rise due to an increase in imports in upcoming years.

Public utility Electrabel SA (Brussels), a subsidiary of GDF Suez SA (EPA:GSZ) (Paris), operates seven nuclear reactors in Belgium--four at the Doel nuclear power station and three in the Tihange nuclear site. Currently, Doel 3, Doel 4 and Tihange 2 reactors are offline for to maintenance and repair work. Doel 3 and Tihange 2 are shut down for nearly a year after small cracks were detected in the steel reactor casings in the summer of 2012, while Doel 4-reactor had shut down automatically on August 5, 2014 following an oil leak, reportedly caused due to sabotage, in its steam turbine in the non-nuclear part of the plant. The leak had caused major damage to the turbine's high-pressure section.

To mitigate the shortage and save electricity, Elia plans to launch a scheme to incentivize consumers, both domestic and industrial, who consent to cut their consumption during peak demand periods. State-owned Electrabel also plans to switch from nuclear to gas-based electricity generation to curb the deficit.

Currently, Belgium imports one third of its gas from Norway and Netherlands. Belgium may also enhance imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), primarily from Qatar, to its gas terminal at Zeebrugge, via tankers.

Elia, Belgium's high-voltage transmission service provider, operates more than 8,000 kilometers (km) of 30-kilovolt (kV) to 380 kV overhead transmission lines and underground cables throughout the country.

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