The natural gas we use in Belgium comes mainly from Norway, the United Kingdom, Qatar and Germany. It is brought in via various underground and undersea gas pipelines as well as by boat, in liquid form, via the Zeebrugge terminal.
The electricity is generated in Belgium and in the neighbouring countries (France, Germany, Switzerland, etc.) in different types of power stations. In Belgium, 7 nuclear reactors generate 52 % of the electricity. Next is natural gas, whose contribution was growing continuously before the price explosion of 2022 put a stop to the development of its use.
Belgium depends on imports of primary energy (that is energy available in nature) for over 74 % of its needs. Oil and natural gas are the primary energies most imported. These are followed by solid fuels (coal and others). Nuclear fuel (uranium) is also imported.
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.
Electricity is a so-called “secondary” energy because it is always generated by transforming a primary energy.
It is also worth noting that some of the electricity used in Belgium is imported from neighbouring countries (France, Germany, Switzerland, etc.).
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