| ... |
... |
@@ -1,0
+1,9 @@ |
|
1 |
+Nuclear power is key to Belgian energy – makes half of its electricity and prevents carbon emissions |
|
2 |
+IEA 16 International Energy Association, "Energy Policies of IEA Countries: 2016 Review Belgium," 2016 AZ |
|
3 |
+Nuclear power plays a key role in Belgium’s energy supply, constituting about half the electricity generation and 16.6 of total primary energy supply (TPES) in 2014. In 2015, nuclear power generation fell further, to 26 terawatt-hours (TWh), according to FPS (Federal Public Service) Economy. In recent years, electricity generated from nuclear power, and consequently the share of nuclear energy in the generation mix, has significantly decreased because of long-term outages of several nuclear units. Despite that, the share of nuclear power in Belgium remains one of the highest in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Seven units, all pressurised water reactors (PWRs), are currently operating in Belgium for a total net installed capacity of 5 913 megawatts (MW) at the end of 2015. The reactors are located at the sites of Doel, on the Scheldt estuary close to Antwerp, and of Tihange, on the river Meuse between Liège and Namur. Since the last (International Energy Agency (IEA) in-depth review in 2009, total net capacity has increased by about 100 MWe as a result of capacity upgrades at Doel 1, Doel 4 and Tihange 3. All nuclear power plants (NPPs) in Belgium are operated by Electrabel, a 100 subsidiary of Engie since 2003. Electrabel is the sole owner of Doel 1 and 2 units, and owns 50 of Tihange 1 and 89.8 of the other four units. The remaining 50 of Tihange 1 is owned by EDF which controls also the remaining 10.2 share of the other four units (see Table 10.1). Belgium has a long tradition in nuclear research and in civil nuclear power, dating from the early 1960s, and for many years the Belgian industry covered almost all activities in the nuclear fuel cycle. In 1962, the BR3 (Belgian Reactor 3) was the first pilot PWR connected to the grid in Western Europe. Belgium co-operated with France in the construction of the first full-scale PWR in Europe (Chooz A). The development of nuclear power in Belgium started at the end of the 1960s with the decision to build three nuclear units at the two sites of Doel and Tihange. Following the first oil crisis, another four units were ordered and connected to the grid by the end of 1985. The whole Belgian nuclear capacity has been commissioned in a relatively short period of about ten years, from February 1975 to October 1985; the lifetime of the nuclear fleet is therefore quite homogeneous, with an average of 35 years of operation. Over the course of operation, the Belgian nuclear fleet has generated about 1 420 TWh of baseload electricity and contributed significantly to the security of energy supply (see Figure 10.1). Nuclear power has also helped avoid emissions of large quantities of carbon dioxide2 , and had an important role in Belgium’s efforts to reduce air pollution (sulphur dioxide SO2 and oxides of nitrogen NOx). |
|
4 |
+Nuclear power key to stop emissions in Belgium |
|
5 |
+Toobin 16 Adam Toobin, "Why Target Belgium? For Terrorists, the Answer Is Complicated and Nuclear" Inverse Magazine, 3/22/2016 AZ |
|
6 |
+Belgium remains heavily reliant on nuclear power to reach its clean energy goals under the Kyoto and Paris protocols, and support for the programs remains high. Some areas in Belgium even obtain as much as 50 percent of their energy from nuclear power. Despite the current old age of Belgian nuclear power reactors, theountry has no plans for new plants once the current facilities expire. |
|
7 |
+Belgium is key – it's a lynchpin in international climate change |
|
8 |
+NCC 10 National Climate Commission of Belgium, "BELGIAN NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGY," December 2010 AZ |
|
9 |
+Since 2008, the Belgian development cooperation has explicitly included the fight against climate change in its policy as a priority. This is due to the fact that the consequences of climate change in many countries in the south are an important source of instability in terms of food security, biodiversity loss, land degradation and desertification, (environmental) migration, public health and tensions that could lead to conflicts. Developing countries, especially the least developed countries, are the first victims of climate change, even though they are less responsible for the causes and have fewer tools to combat climate change or to adapt their societies. In many developing countries, especially African countries, climate change adds additional pressure to difficulties resulting from long existing problems, such as poverty, poor access to education, weak institutions and governance, inadequate infrastructure, low access to technology and information, poor access to health services, problems with income generation and armed conflicts. These structural problems come on top of the threats that originate from the overexploitation of available natural resources, a quickly increasing population, desertification and land degradation. These stress factors make developing countries, especially the least developed countries, more vulnerable for climate change and make adaptation more difficult. The Belgian development cooperation is active in many sectors where the impact of climate change must be taken into account, such as agriculture and rural development, water, energy, infrastructure and health care. Through its bilateral cooperation, by supporting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the northern and southern hemispheres and by supporting scientific institutions, Belgium is contributing to several programs and projects that all tackle adaptation to climate change in one way or another. In the framework of multilateral cooperation20, Belgium supports amongst others international agricultural research (mainly the centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the European Research for Agriculture/Agricultural Research for Development (ERA/ARD). In 2009 Belgium contributed to the Least Developed Countries Fund to support implementation of the National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPAs) of these least developed countries. Belgium is planning to increase this support significantly as part of its contribution to the fast start funding package, negotiated in Copenhagen. |