1. Opportunities in the Belgian energy sector
Gert Wauters
Senior Trade & Investment Adviser
UKTI Belgium

2. Main points
 Why Belgium ?
 Belgium and its energy policy
 What about nuclear ?
 Opportunities in nuclear decommissioning
 Key organisations

3. Why Belgium ?

4. Why Belgium ?
 Belgium is the UK’s sixth-largest export market,
worth £10 billion a year. The UK is Belgium’s
fourth-largest export market with two-way
trade worth in the region of £22 billion.
 Ideal test market but competitive market place
 Interesting mix of Belgian companies, decision
centres and EHQ’s

5. Energy policy in Belgium

6. Energy policy in Belgium
Federal level
Nuclear
Offshore renewables
Security of supply
Large storage infrastructure
Energy production and transmission

7. Energy policy in Belgium
Federal level
Regional level
Nuclear
Energy efficiency
Offshore renewables
Onshore renewables
Security of supply
Non-nuclear energy R&D
Large storage infrastructure
Energy from waste
Energy production and transmission
Distribution grid

8. Energy policy in Belgium
 Nuclear : - substantial share in electricity generation
→ nevertheless decision in 2012 to phase out nuclear as of 2015
 Incentives for combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants
 Renewables : target = 13% of energy generated by 2020
 Early mover for offshore wind projects (2007)

9. What about nuclear ?
Generating capacity
Renewable
11%
Hydro
7%
Renewable
21%
Fossil fuel
(gas)
43%
Data : 2011
Electricity generated
Nuclear
29%
Fossil fuel
(gas)
34%
Hydro
2%
Nuclear
53%

10. Nuclear sites in Belgium
Doel :
Doel
Mol - Dessel
-4 PW Reactors
- operational 1974
Tihange :
Tihange
Fleurus
-3 PW Reactors
-Operational 1975
Both sites owned
and operated by
Electrabel
(part of GDF Suez)

11. Nuclear sites in Belgium
Mol – Dessel :
Doel
Mol - Dessel
- Nuclear fuel production
site (FBFC – part of Areva)
-Nuclear disposal facility
(Belgoprocess)
Tihange
Fleurus
- Nuclear Research Centre
(SCK-CEN)
Fleurus :
Production of radioElements for use in nuclear
Medicine (IRE)

12. Opportunities in nuclear decommissioning
 July 2012 : Belgian government decides on nuclear phase out by 2015
 Timetable for the phase-out of the seven reactors
2015
Doel 1
Doel 2
2022
Doel 3
2023
Tihange 2
2025
Tihange 1
Tihange 3
Doel 4
 First phase of the process (2016-2019) will focus on the spent nuclear fuel.
Currently 120 tonnes of highly radioactive spent fuel is produced annually.
In Doel it is stored dry in containers, in Tihange a spent fuel pool is used.
 No tendering process

13. Key organisations
 part of GDF-Suez
 former monopoly supply gas & electricity in Belgium
 owner & operator of nuclear reactors (Doel & Tihange)
 Decommissioning and Dismantling Belgium
 Nuclear generation
 part of GDF-Suez
 decommissioning engineer for Doel 1 & 2
 Due Diligence  Procurement  Construction (EPCM/PMC)
 Operation  Decommissioning

14. Key organisations
 National Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile
Materials
 Responsible for collecting information (timing, process, cost
estimate, risk assessment etc.) related to the decommissioning
programmes, approving these programmes, executing the
programme at the request of the operator.
 Subsidiary of NIRAS
 Processing and storage of radioactive wastes
 Advice on decontamination, dismantling and waste management

15. Further information
Contact
E
gert.wauters@fco.gov.uk
Sectors
Energy
Engineering
T
+32 2 287 62 24
Chemicals
Pharma
be.linkedin.com/pub/gert-wauters/
Biotech
Materials
Transport