By the end of 2025, the Belgian nuclear plants will have to be closed down, but it is unclear how possible power shortages can be avoided.
The government proposes a ‘Capacity Remuneration Mechanism’ (CRM), in which companies that produce extra energy or reduce their consumption, can enter an auction for compensation from the government.
The government wants to present the dossier to the EU in mid-December, but nobody knows yet what the CRM will look like, and who will pay for it.
Electrabel’s chairman, Johnny Thijs, calls for three of the seven nuclear power plants to be kept open longer, New Mobility reports.
Several scientists call for the same solution. “But that is not a guarantee for supply,” says Sara Van Dyck, of the ecologist’s federation Bond Beter Leefmilieu. “We have seen that these nuclear power plants are often out of order.”
Climate plan
The government hasn’t revealed exactly how much capacity Belgium will auction off. But first, it will have to present a climate plan that shows which energy measures it is taking.
If this plan has to be reworked to obtain approval, the CRM plan will have to be put on hold.
Not only gas-fired power stations but also renewable energy is eligible for support, as are companies that are prepared to use less energy at certain times.
Minister Marghem says that she is working hard on these implementing decrees. “We first have to take it to the Council of Ministers before we submit it to Europe for pre-notification,” she says through her spokesman.
The Brussels Times
