Nuclear Shutdowns Leave Belgium Looking for Power


Closure of Three Nuclear Power Plants Leaves Government Fearing Winter Energy Crunch

http://online.wsj.com/articles/nucle...wer-1408632643

BRUSSELS—Belgian authorities are racing to map out emergency plans in case of a severe energy crunch this winter. The country could face energy shortfalls in the depths of winter after the sudden closure of three major nuclear power plants over the past months.

Two nuclear reactors, Doel 3 and Tihange 2, were closed in May after cracks appeared in the steel reactor casings, and another large plant, Doel 4, closed down on Aug. 5, after an oil leak which its French parent company GDF Suez GSZ.FR +0.38% said was due to sabotage.

The incidents mean that all three plants are likely to remain out of action until the end of the year, depriving Belgium of more than half its nuclear capacity.

Belgium's parliament is holding a special session on Friday to discuss situation and it has commissioned the national crisis center to set out possible scenarios in case of a power shortages this winter.

If shortages look imminent, authorities would launch an appeal, urging the general public to cut down on energy use and would order some industrial firms to reduce production.

"The decision to switch off power would be the last measure," said Peter Mertens, a spokesman for the crisis center. "If that decision is taken, it would definitely have an impact on society."

"It would be very complicated to cut off power supplies," said Axelle Pollet of Elia, ELI.BT +0.90% the Belgian grid operator. "We'd have to still make sure that people can get home safely, that the trains are running and the traffic lights can still work."

Ms. Pollet said much would now depend on the severity of the coming winter. "The weather will be very important," she said.

To mitigate against shortfalls, Belgium is likely to boost imports of electricity from its neighbors, France and the Netherlands.

"If the three plants remain out of order, as seems likely, we'll have to lean a lot on imports," said Aviel Verbruggen, an energy professor at the University of Antwerp. "The problem will come if the spike in demand from Belgium coincides with a spike in France and they won't deliver that electricity."

Belgium pledged in 2003 to gradually phase out nuclear power, but has failed to carry out the required overhaul its energy policy, said Prof. Verbruggen. "Everyone thought there was still a lot of life in these nuclear plants," he said. "The approach to energy policy has been very piecemeal."

Belgian power group Electrabel, which is owned by GDF Suez, operates seven nuclear reactors in Belgium: four at the Doel site near Antwerp and three in Tihange, south of Brussels.