Risks of a power outage for some Brussels communes in November
Cold is back, and these temperatures could be quite a good indicator of the chilly times ahead. But when some people need to heat their flat, it might be problematic in some places in Belgium as there’s a risk of a power shortage in November.
Unavailability of nuclear reactors
Why will we face shortage? The issue is quite understandable and inexplicable at the same time. In November, six out of seven nuclear reactors will be out of service and only Doel 3 will work. As a result, the Belgian authorities should look for Megawatt 1,600-1,700 ahead of Winter. Although Marie-Christine Marghem, the Federal minister in charge of energy, has stated Megawatt 750 were found last Wednesday, more than Megawatt 850 are still missing. In concrete terms, it is comparable to the consumption of 2,5 million of households.
Even if Belgium faced an unexpected situation in 2014, it seems to be worse this year. “This situation has never happened in Belgium so far,” a spokesperson for the electric grid Elia, stated.
Brussels should be fine
What does it mean for all of you? The government has set up a plan to deal with this potential shortage. Not all the communes should be affected to the same extent. Should you live in the countryside in Wallonia or Flanders, there’s potentially a higher risk of being affected.
Brussels should be fine in comparison with the other parts of the territory. Only Uccle and Auderghem are part of the plan, in case there’s a need to cut down power.
What impact will it have on the prices? The financial impact is quite hard to assess today. John Crombez, the President of the Flemish socialist party, pointed out the fact that the price of electricity has doubled last Monday, “only because of uncertainty.”
Electrabel, which operates electricity in Belgium rather stated that this crisis could make its profits down by about EUR 600 million.
