At the request of Belgium’s Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten, the FPS Economy will launch a survey of thousands of Belgian companies to help refine its emergency gas plans. The plans, announced by the government in April, aim to prepare Belgium in the event of a total cut-off from Russian gas deliveries or global energy disruption.
Under the government’s current plans, there are three stages of preparation for any disruption to natural gas supplies: a pre-alert phase, alert phase, and emergency phase.
Belgium has not yet activated the first step of its plan, which would not entail restrictions but greater monitoring of energy markets. Van der Straeten stated on 2 June that Belgium was “fully prepared” for Russian gas to be cut off and that there was still no need to activate emergency plans. Currently, Russian gas deliveries to Belgium continue as normal.
“We obviously hope never to have to activate this plan, but we are leaving nothing to chance,” said the minister.
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Russian energy monopoly Gazprom is currently engaging in retaliatory tactics for sanctions on the Russian energy industry. Russia is now demanding payment for its gas exports in roubles in an attempt to prop-up its economy and lessen the impact of international sanctions.
Those who refuse have been systematically cut-off from supply. These new demands do not extend to existing contracts, meaning many European countries are still buying gas as normal, for now. Belgium is not reliant on Russian gas and buys large amounts of liquified natural gas from Qatar via its gas terminal in Zeebrugge.
The current Belgian emergency gas plans would reduce gas consumption in the event of a disruption to supply. In the second phase, Belgium will buy emergency volumes to store during the summer months. In the third-stage, gas and electricity will be rationed, and certain consumers may be cut off.
Belgians have already been asked to voluntarily decrease their gas consumption this year. A government scheme named “Ik heb impact” (I have an impact) has called on Belgians to help Ukraine and the environment by cutting their energy consumption at home.
