Electrabel

Table of contents

1 Belgian branch of French multinational 2 History 3 Nuclear operator 4 Nuclear phase-out 5 References

Belgian branch of French multinational

Electrabel describes itself as the market leader in the Benelux countries. The French multinational corporation, SUEZ owns 98.6% of the shares in Electrabel, which has electricity generating capacity in the following countries:-

Netherlands 4,711MW

Belgium 13,165MW

Luxembourg 376MW

France 4818MW

Portugal 164MW

Italy 2,225MW

Germany 296MW

Poland 1,654MW

Hungary 1,676MW

With its headquarters in Brussels, the Company provides the majority of Belgium’s electricity requirements and natural gas distribution.

Electrabel relies mainly on gas-fired and nuclear power stations. The Company generates around 131TWh per year, of which about 37.1% is nuclear generated. Its generating capacity is 29.1 GW, of which 21.6% is nuclear capacity. ^{[1] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Electrabel#endnote_wng)}

History

Electrabel was founded in 1991 when Intercom, Ebes and Unerg merged. Suez has owned a majority stake in Electrabel for a number of years, but it increased this from 50.1% in 2005 to over 90%. Suez is a French multinational corporation which itself resulted from the merger of the Compagnie de Suez, and Lyonnaise des Eaux in 1997.

Nuclear operator

Electrabel has a stake in two nuclear facilities in Belgium. Tihange is the site of three Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs); Tihange 1 (962MW) was commissioned in 1975 and ownership is split 50:50 with EDF Group; Tihange 2 (1008MW) was commissioned in 1983 and is 96% owned by Electrabel and 4% by Société Productrice d'Electricité (SPE). Tihange 3 (1015MW) was commissioned in 1985 with a similar ownership to Tihange 2. ^{[2] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Electrabel#endnote_ectr)} SPE is a public corporation. ^{[3] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Electrabel#endnote_wna)}

The Doel nuclear site has four PWRs. Doel 1 and 2 – both owned outright by Electrabel – were both commissioned in 1975 (392 and 433MW). Doel 3 and 4 are 96% owned by Electrabel and 4% by Société Productrice d'Electricité. Doel 3 (1006MW) was commissioned in 1983 and Doel 4 (1009MW) was commissioned in 1985.

Electrabel says “together with renewable forms of energy and fossil fuels, nuclear energy appears to be an inescapable part of the solution” to the problems of maintaining energy security and combating climate change.

Nuclear phase-out

In February 2003, the Belgian government published its nuclear phase-out law, which provides for the closure of the 7 reactors in operation in Belgium after a maximum period of 40 years from the date of their first commissioning. That means Doel 1 and 2 and Tihange 1 will close in 2015, and the last reactors, Tihange 3 and Doel 4 will close in 2025. However, the law stipulates that an exception may be made in the case of "force majeure" (for reasons of security of supply, for example). ^{[4] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Electrabel#endnote_ectr2)}

Despite this, the Company, now tending to be called Suez-Electrabel, reaffirmed its intention in March 2007 to invest in new nuclear capacity between 2015 and 2020, focusing on "third-generation reactors of the EPR type." Suez Chairman/CEO Gerard Mestrallet told a press conference March 8 in Paris that decisions would be made between 2007 and 2009. He said Suez was open to sharing one or more new nuclear projects with partners. Suez is also known to be interested in helping to build the Cernavoda-3 Candu plant in Romania, which is in the bidding stage. Mestrallet also said that if the current political ban on new nuclear in Belgium is lifted, the Company would reconsider a reactor construction project on Electrabel's home territory. ^{[5] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Electrabel#endnote_plat)}

Electrabel is a member of the European Atomic Forum (Foratom).

References

1. ^Energy that gives you wings (http://www.electrabel.com/corporate/aboutelectrabel/documents/mmvi_Energythatgivesyouwings_en.pdf), Electrabel Brochure, May, 2006.
2. ^Electrabel website: Our power stations (http://www.electrabel.com/corporate/nuclear/power_stations_en.asp), accessed March 2007.
3. ^ Nuclear power in Belgium (http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf94.html), World Nuclear Associaion Information Paper, August 2004. See also No Nukes Info Source Website (http://www.ecology.at/nni/country.php?country=Belgium)
4. ^ Electrabel website: Nuclear power today (http://www.electrabel.com/corporate/nuclear/world_wide_en.asp), accessed March 2007.
5. ^ Platts Nuclear News Flashes, March 8, 2007