Nuclear power 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) 1008
MWe (1975) •
Nuclear Plant Tihange with three reactors of (1) 962, (2) 1008 and (3) 1015 MWe (1975) By law 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 the
Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was agreed to extend the life of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 reactors to 2035.
Fossil fuels Coal power The use of coal in thermal power plants has been decreasing. In 2000 coal was still used to produce 14.25% of electricity,
Natural gas In 2022 gas accounted for 24.4% of gross electricity generated, with coal at 0.04%.
Fluxys is the main operator in natural gas transmission. Several power stations use a
combined cycle including:
Drogenbos, ,
Tessenderlo. Building permits are being processed for plants in
Seneffe and
Visé.
Oil refining At the end of 2011 Belgium had a distillation capacity 41 Mt. That year 72% of the capacity was used.
Renewables Renewable energy includes wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy sources. In 2000,
renewable energy (including
biomass) was used for producing 0.95% of the 78.85 TWh of electricity produced domestically This had risen to 13.01% in 2021. On 11 May 2022 7,112 MW was generated by combined wind and solar energy production.
Wind power At the start of 2012, there were 498 operational wind turbines in Belgium, with a capacity of 1080 MW. The amount of electricity generated from wind energy has surpassed 2 TWh per year. 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.
Solar power The exploitation of
Solar power is on the rise in
Belgium. In 2021 solar accounted for 27% of Belgium's power generation capacity and 6% of total power generation.
Biomass and waste In 2009,
biomass and
biogas 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 renewable
waste 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. Ten years earlier this was only 0.71%. The region's 15 installations have a combined capacity just shy of 1 MW (994 kW). ==Final energy consumption==