Where does the electricity and the gas used in Belgium come from?

Where does the natural gas come from?

The majority of the gas that we consume in Belgium is imported from Norway, France, the Netherlands, the UK, Russia and Qatar. In 2024, Russian gas only accounted for 8.7% of Belgium's consumption.

Natural gas is taken from gas fields, which are usually found in the same production zones as oil. From the producer countries, it is brought to the borders of Belgium in gas pipelines or gas tankers.

Land-based gas pipelines transport the gas from Norway, the Netherlands and France. Undersea pipelines bring gas from the United Kingdom, as well as carrying the remainder of the Norwegian gas.
Gas tankers are huge ships that carry natural gas in liquid state, which takes up 600 times less space than in its gaseous state. This means that a large quantity of energy can be transported in a small volume. Belgium is supplied by gas tankers via the Zeebrugge terminal, where these ships come and unload their cargo. The liquid gas is stored there temporarily in storage tanks. It is then regasified and injected into the transport and then the distribution networks.

Did you know?

In preparation for the end of lean gas exports from the Netherlands in 2023, Belgium decided to diversify its gas supply sources. So, since 2022, the Brussels network has operated on rich gas.

Where does the electricity come from?

In 2024, 88% of the electricity consumed in Belgium came from national production, while 12% was imported from neighbouring countries.

In 2024, Belgium's electricity mix was made up of the following:

Nuclear energy: 42.2%
Wind power: 17.9%
Gas: 17.6%
Solar power: 11.9%
Biogas: 3%
Other fossil fuels: 7.4%

Gradually cutting out nuclear energy

Belgium has 7 nuclear reactors spread over 2 sites: Doel (in the province of West Flanders) and Tihange (in the province of Liège). Following the closure of 3 of these facilities, there are now 4 nuclear reactors currently operating in Belgium (June 2025).

With the planned closure of 2 reactors at the end of 2025, the proportion of nuclear power is set to gradually decline. In the long term, 2 reactors (Doel 4 and Tihange 3) should remain in operation until the end of 2035.

Belgium: a country importing its primary energy

Electricity is a so-called "secondary" energy because it is always generated by transforming a primary energy, i.e. the energy that is available naturally. In 2023, Belgium relied on imports of primary energy for more than 76% of its energy supply.

Oil and natural gas are the forms of primary energy that are imported the most. These are followed by solid fuels (coal and others), as well as nuclear fuels (uranium).