In the event of a harsh winter or a persistent cold spell, Belgium risks running out of gas, warns the report submitted to the De Croo government and co-signed by Elia, Fluxys and the energy administration, reported Friday Echo and De Tijd.
In the event of cold weather, exports from the United Kingdom to Belgium are likely to decrease rapidly, or even stop completely if temperatures are below 0°C. For this winter, if the temperature is equal to or greater than 0°C, there should be no problem, the report estimates.
From 0°C, Belgium risks no longer having enough gas surplus to export to Germany and the Netherlands. And if temperatures dip below 0°C, the Loenhout storage, whose emission capacity is quite low, may not be enough to cushion the shock: only a rapid and targeted reduction in gas demand in Belgium should then allow the situation to be brought back to balance, points out the report.
Belgium would then move on to the last phase of its gas emergency plan, during which the authorities can ask certain categories of consumers to reduce or even stop their use of gas.