Energy in Belgium describesenergy andelectricity production, consumption and import in Belgium.

It is governed by theenergy policy of Belgium, which is divided between several levels of government. For example, regional governments are responsible for awardinggreen certificates (except foroffshore wind parks) while the national government is responsible for all nuclear power. As a member country of theEuropean Union Belgium also complies with itsenergy policy.

Belgium is heavily reliant on aging nuclear reactors and gas-powered generators, although renewables (especially wind power) are generating an increasing percentage of electricity consumed.

The energy plan for Brussels is for it to be carbon neutral by 2050, with emissions down by 40% in 2030, 67% in 2040 and 90% in 2050 compared to 2005.^[1] Belgium as a whole has a target of a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030.^[2]

Primary energy is the amount of extractable energy present in fuels as they are found in nature. It is often expressed intonnes of oil equivalent (toe) orwatt-hour (Wh). Unless stated otherwise thelower heating value is used in the remainder of this text. A portion of primary energy is converted into other forms before it is used, depending on theenergy conversion efficiency of the installation and method employed. This number differs significantly from the final energy as consumed by end users.

In 2021, crude oil was imported mainly from the Netherlands.^[4]

Natural gas net imports are mainly from the Netherlands and Norway in 2021.^[5]

Electrabel is main producer of electricity, followed byEDF Luminus.

Short term trading is done via the Belpex energy exchange, which is now part ofAPX-ENDEX. The Belgian transmission grid, operated byElia System Operator, has a central position in theSynchronous grid of Continental Europe. This allows Belgium to trade electricity with its neighbours. Although currently there are only physical connections with the Netherlands and France, links with Germany (Alegro) and the United Kingdom (Nemo) are planned. Currently a maximum of 3500 MW can be imported.^[6] In comparison, the net installed generation capacity in Belgium is estimated to be 19,627 MW.^[7]

According to theGEMIX report the potential of renewable energy sources is 17 TWh per year.^[8]

Nuclear power typically contributes between 50% and 60% of the electricity produced domestically (50.4% in 2010).

Belgium has two nuclear power plants:

• Nuclear Plant Doel with four reactors of (1) 392, (2) 433, (3)1006 and (4) 1008MW_e (1975)
• Nuclear Plant Tihange with three reactors of (1) 962, (2)1008 and (3) 1015 MW_e (1975)

By law^[9] the nuclear power plants are to be phased-out. Two reactors (Doel 3 and Tihange 2) were closed in 2012; however the government has extended the life of the remaining five. The lifetime of one old reactor was extended to 2025; and in 2023, because of theRussian invasion of Ukraine, it was agreed to extend the life of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 reactors to 2035.^[10]

The use of coal in thermal power plants has been decreasing. In 2000 coal was still used to produce 14.25% of electricity,^[11] by 2006 this had dropped to about 10%; and in 2010 it was down to 6.3%. The last conventional coal units of the thermal power plants inMol andKallo were closed in March 2016.^[12]

In 2022 gas accounted for 24.4% of gross electricity generated, with coal at 0.04%.^[13]Fluxys is the main operator in natural gas transmission.

Several power stations use acombined cycle including:Drogenbos,Amercoeur [fr],Tessenderlo. Building permits are being processed for plants inSeneffe andVisé.

At the end of 2011 Belgium had a distillation capacity 41 Mt. That year 72% of the capacity was used.^[14]

Renewable energy includes wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy sources.

In 2000,renewable energy (includingbiomass) was used for producing 0.95% of the 78.85 TWh of electricity produced domestically^[11] This had risen to 13.01% in 2021.^[16]

On 11 May 2022 7,112 MW was generated by combined wind and solar energy production.^[17]

This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2023)

At the start of 2012, there were 498 operational wind turbines in Belgium, with a capacity of 1080 MW.^[18] The amount of electricity generated from wind energy has surpassed 2 TWh per year.^[19] By 2021 wind power accounted for 19% of Belgium’s installed power generation capacity and 11% of total power generation.

There are seven large-scale offshore wind farm projects. Northwind (216MW),Thorntonbank Wind Farm (325 MW),Belwind Wind Farm (330 MW) are operational. The others are in various stages of planning.

The exploitation ofSolar power is on the rise inBelgium. In 2021 solar accounted for 27% of Belgium’s power generation capacity and 6% of total power generation.^[26]

In 2009,biomass andbiogas were used to generate 3.5 TWh or 3.8% of gross domestic electricity production.

In 2010 5.07 million tonnes of waste was produced in Belgium, of which 1.75 Mt was incinerated. Nearly always (99.8% of the time) energy was recovered during incineration. Non renewablewaste was used for producing 1.4% of the gross domestic electricity production. 1.9 Mt was recycled and 1 Mt was composted or fermented; only 0.062 Mt was dumped.^[34] Ten years earlier this was only 0.71%.^[11]

Belgium has twopumped storage hydroelectric power stations:Coo-Trois-Ponts (1164 MW) and Plate-Taille (143 MW). Pumped storage stations are a net consumer of electricity, but they contributed 1.4% to the gross electricity production in 2010.

Despite the limited potential there are also anumber of stations generatinghydroelectric power. With a combined capacity of about 100 MW. Contributing 0.3% of gross domestic production in 2010.

Almost all of this capacity is realised in the Walloon Region. Even though hydroelectric power was used extensively in Flanders prior to the industrial revolution, there are no rivers where it can be generated on a large scale.^[35] The region's 15 installations have a combined capacity just shy of 1 MW (994 kW).^[36]

This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2023)

In 2010 the largest share (34%) of final energy was for domestic use (this includes: households,service sector, commerce, and agriculture).Transport and industrial sector both consumed about a quarter.Fossil fuels are also used as raw material in several manufacturing processes, this non-energetic use accounts for the remainder of the final energy.

A more detailed picture of the energy and type of fuel used by various activities is given in the table below.

In theBrussels-Capital Region, the electricity and natural gas net are operated bySibelga. In 2011, the natural gas consumption was 10,480GWh and theelectricity consumption was 5,087 GWh.^[38]

Sibelga invests in combined heat and power (CHP) installations for which it receives green certificates. In 2011 its eleven installations had a combined capacity of 17.8 MWe and 19.7 MWth and generated 50.5 GWh of electricity.^[38]

The Region of Brussels-Capital also encouragesMicroCHP^[39] and implemented theEuropean directive of 2002/91/CE on Energy Performance of Buildings.

The companiesUmicore,BASF,Solvay,Duferco,Tessenderlo Chemie [nl],ArcelorMittal, andAir Liquide together account for about 15% of the total electricity consumption of Belgium in 2006.^[40]

In 1990, thegreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were 146.9 million tons ofCO₂ equivalent (Mt CO₂ eq), whose 88 million tons came from theFlemish Region, 54.8 from theWalloon Region and 4 Mt from the Brussels-capital Region.^[41]

Being a member of theEuropean Union,Belgium, applied theEuropean Union Emission Trading Scheme set up by theDirective 2003/87/EC. TheKyoto protocol sets a 7.5% reduction ofgreenhouse gas emission target compared to 1990. Belgium set up aNational Allocation Plan at the federal level with target for each of the three regions.

Belgium takes part in theUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and has ratified theKyoto Protocol.

On 14 November 2002, Belgium signed theCooperation Agreement for the implementation of a National Climate Plan and reporting in the context of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto protocol. The firstNational Allocation Plan was for the period from 2005 to 2007. TheEuropean Commission approved it on 20 October 2004. The second allocation plan was for the period 2008–2012 and aims a reduction of 7.5% of green house gas emissions compared to 1990.

By 2019, the Walloon region had decreased 34% of its CO₂ emissions, while Flanders had only decreased 8%.

According to theForbes list of billionaires (2011), the Belgian billionaire Wang Xingchun ($1 billion 2011) made his wealth in thecoal business.^[42] Wang is a resident of Singapore who holdsBelgian citizenship. Wang is the chairman of Winsway Coking Coal, a company that imports coal fromMongolia to China and went public in Hong Kong in 2010.^[43]

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