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• Electrabel
• Nuclear Plant Sale

• Restrictions relaxed at Fleurus

  Limits on the use of rainwater and garden produce have been relaxed somewhat at Fleurus, Belgium, as more information about the radioactive emission emerges. Iodine from the nuclear medicine factory was released on 23-24 August. Posted Sep 01 2008, 08:03 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Belgium

• Medical plant shut down after emission

  A medical and industrial isotope production factory in Belgium has been shut down after an unusual release of one of its products, iodine-131, through its chimney stack. Workers at the plant are unhurt, but local residents have been advised not to eat vegetables from their gardens. Posted Aug 29 2008, 08:58 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Belgium

• Belgian minister disputes agreement with Electrabel

  Electrabel said that it is still in talks with the Belgian government over a planned levy on nuclear power plant operators. The government wants nuclear plant operators in Belgium - predominantly Electrabel - to contribute €250 million ($388 million) to help fill a budget gap in 2008. Electrabel said that the government had agreed to extend the operating lives of Belgium's nuclear power reactors in exchange for the payment. However, the energy minister insists that no such deal was made. In a statement, Electrabel - a subsidiary of Suez - said that "comments referring to an agreement by nuclear producers to contribute up to €250 million in 2008 for the state budget are wrong. Moreover, no provision for subsequent years has been examined. At this stage - that of technical discussions - only ideas have been raised." Paul Magnette, Belgium's minister of energy, said "this statement is an unacceptable U-turn by Electrabel following confirmation of the agreement yesterday." He added, that if Electrabel maintained its stance there would be no further discussions with the electricity sector about this contribution." Magnette threatened that the government would "take the necessary steps to obtain an equivalent amount and to end Electrabel's dominance of the Belgium market," but did not explain why the extraordinary nuclear levy was originally required. Posted May 29 2008, 11:56 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Belgium, Electrabel

• Belgian nuclear plans stay the same

  Plans to extend the lives of Belgium's nuclear power plants, a topic much discussed in the run-up to the inauguration of the country's new government, have not been included in the government's platform and are not likely to be revisited until election time comes round again. Posted Mar 27 2008, 10:59 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Belgium

• Suez "close" to nuclear sale

  [Hemscott, 8 January] Suez, owner of Belgium energy company Electrabel, is reported to be close to reaching an agreement with SPE of Belgium on the sale of 635 MWe of nuclear capacity. Under the deal, SPE is to swap its 100 MWe stake in France's Chooz nuclear power plant for a 100 MWe share of Electrabel's Belgian nuclear capacity, as well as buying a further 250 MWe stake and signing a long-term purchase contract for 285 MWe also with Electrabel. The deal is part of the ongoing liberalization of Belgian energy market. Posted Jan 09 2008, 10:28 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Nuclear Plant Sale, Belgium