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• Westinghouse expands European service capabilities

  Westinghouse has opened a pump and motor maintenance and repair centre in Nivelles, Belgium, to serve European nuclear power plant operators. The facility will have an annual repair and refurbishment capacity of more than 20 large motors and ten pumps. Posted Jan 22 2010, 08:06 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Westinghouse, Belgium, europe, nuclear, plant, power, capabilities

• GdF-Suez to fight nuclear levy

  The GdF-Suez group has confirmed it will take the Belgian government to court to try to get the annual "contribution" levied against the country's nuclear operators annulled. Posted Jan 05 2010, 09:46 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Belgium, tax, nuclear, plants, gdf suez, levy, annulled, fight

• Approval for utility deals

  Electricité de France has permission to take a controlling stake in a Belgian utility as well as to complete its deal with Centrica regarding British Energy after a ruling by European competition authorities. Posted Nov 13 2009, 08:43 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: British Energy, EDF, Belgium, Electricité de France, Centrica, acquisition, BE, deal, EC

• GdF-Suez holds back on Belgian payment

  [Reuters, 17 October] The Belgian government has demanded that French utility GdF-Suez agree to a deal on an energy levy for 2009 of up to € 500 million ($748 million) by 22 October. Belgium is demanding the payment of a levy of € 250 million ($374 million) for the operation of GdF-Suez's Belgian nuclear power plants, as well as a € 250 million contribution to a renewable energy fund. GdF-Suez CEO Gerard Mestrallet said that the company is not prepared to pay the levy as it totals about the same amount as the entire profit from the company’s Belgian operations. GdF-Suez's Electrabel subsidiary primarily owns and operates all seven of Belgium's nuclear reactors. The company paid a € 250 million levy in 2008, but is challenging that payment at Belgium’s constitutional court. Last week, the Belgium government announced its decision to put back its plans to phase out nuclear power by ten years. However, it said that the country's nuclear producers must make an annual 'contribution' of some € 215-245 million ($320-364 million) per year to the country's budget over the period 2010-2014. Posted Oct 20 2009, 07:57 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Belgium, contract, nuclear, plant, power, payment, gas, gdf suez

• Belgium postpones nuclear phase-out

  The Belgian government has put back its plans to phase out nuclear power by ten years – but the country's nuclear energy producers will have to pay for the privilege of continued operation. Posted Oct 13 2009, 11:22 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Belgium, capacity, ban, operation, poll, demand, nuclear, phase out

• Nuclear needed in Belgium

  Politically motivated shutdowns of nuclear power plants look set to be put off for at least ten years, after an official report said the country could not manage without nuclear. Posted Oct 02 2009, 10:07 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: New Nuclear Plants, Belgium, France, opinion, editorial, column

• Contract for Kozloduy waste treatment facility

  Belgium's Belgoprocess and Iberdrola of Spain have won a contract to supply a facility for treatment and conditioning of solid radioactive waste at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria. Posted Apr 23 2009, 09:40 PM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Belgium, Bulgaria, waste

• Capacity swaps see EOn enter Belgian market

  German power giant EOn is set to become Belgium's third biggest power producer under an agreement to swap capacity, including rights to nuclear output, with Electrabel. The deal involves three reactors in each of the nuclear phase-out countries. Posted Dec 18 2008, 12:00 PM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Belgium, Electrabel, EOn

• Go-ahead for Belgian isotope production restart

  Belgium's nuclear regulator has given the go-ahead for the production of medical isotopes at the Institute of Radioelements (IRE) at Fleurus. The facility has been out of action since August. Posted Nov 04 2008, 11:19 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Belgium

• Stiff opposition to nuclear charge

  Electrabel has reacted strongly against a plan from the Belgian government to force a one-off payment of €250 million from nuclear power generators. The company's parent, GdF-Suez plans to challenge the rule in the Constitutional Court. Posted Oct 15 2008, 01:00 PM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Belgium, Electrabel, GdF-Suez

• 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