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Belgium's strongly globalized economy and its transportation infrastructure are integrated with
the rest of Europe. Its location at the heart of a highly industrialized region helped make it the
world's 15th largest trading nation in 2007.[58][59] The economy is characterized by a highly
productive work force, high GNP and high exports per capita.[60] Belgium's main imports are
food products, machinery, rough diamonds, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals,
clothing and accessories, and textiles. Its main exports are automobiles, food products, iron and
steel, finished diamonds, textiles, plastics, petroleum products and nonferrous metals.
The Belgian economy is heavily service-oriented and shows a dual nature: a dynamic Flemish
economy and a Walloon economy that lags behind.[14][61] One of the founding members of the
European Union, Belgium strongly supports an open economy and the extension of the powers
of EU institutions to integrate member economies. Since 1922, through the Belgium-
Luxembourg Economic Union, Belgium and Luxembourg have been a single trade market with
customs and currency union.
Belgium was the first continental European country to undergo the Industrial Revolution, in the
early 19th century.[62] Liège and Charleroi rapidly developed mining and steelmaking, which
flourished until the mid-20th century in the Sambre±Meuse valley, the sillon industriel and made
Belgium one of the top three most industrialized nations in the world from 1830 to 1910.[63]
However, by the 1840s the textile industry of Flanders was in severe crisis, and the region
experienced famine from 1846±50.
After World War II, Ghent and Antwerp experienced a rapid expansion of the chemical and
petroleum industries. The 1973 and 1979 oil crises sent the economy into a recession; it was
particularly prolonged in Wallonia, where the steel industry had become less competitive and
experienced serious decline.[64] In the 1980s and 90s, the economic centre of the country
continued to shift northwards and is now concentrated in the populous Flemish Diamond area.[65]
By the end of the 1980s, Belgian macroeconomic policies had resulted in a cumulative
government debt of about 120% of GDP. As of 2006, the budget was balanced and public debt
was equal to 90.30% of GDP.[66] In 2005 and 2006, real GDP growth rates of 1.5% and 3.0%,
respectively, were slightly above the average for the Euro area. Unemployment rates of 8.4% in
2005 and 8.2% in 2006 were close to the area average.[67]
From 1832 until 2002, Belgium's currency was the Belgian franc. Belgium switched to the euro
in 2002, with the first sets of euro coins being minted in 1999. The standard Belgian euro coins
designated for circulation show the portrait of King Albert II
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Electricity consumption in Belgium has grown from just under 6400 kWh per capita in 1990 to
about 8600 kWh in 2007. Nuclear energy provides 54% of the country's domestically-generated
electricity ± about 48 billion kWh per year gross. Natural gas provides 25 billion kWh and coal
less than 10 billion kWh per year. Net nuclear electricity production was 43.4 billion kWh in
2008, 53.8% of total electricity generation.
Most Belgian electricity is produced by Electrabel, a subsidiary of GDF Sueza, which also
operates all the nuclear plants. Electrabel owns half of Tihange 1; 89.8% of Tihange 2 & 3 and
Doel 3 & 4; and 100% of Doel 1 and 2. The other 50% of Tihange 1 is held by EDF, and SPEc
owns the remaining 10.2% of Tihange 2 & 3 and Doel 3 & 4. EDF acquired a 51% stake in SPE
in 2009.
However, due to political factors in the governing coalition, the Belgian Senate approved the
Federal Act of 31 January 2003, which prohibited the building of new nuclear power plants and
limited the operating lives of existing ones to 40 years (to 2014-2025o. This can be overridden by
a recommendation from the electricity and gas regulator (ß
, CREGo if Belgium's security of supply is threatened.
In October 2009, the government received a further report from a commissioned panele. This
recommended a ten-year life extension for the three oldest nuclear power reactors to 2025 and a
20-year life extension for the other four. The government then agreed to postpone the phase-out
by ten years, so that it does not begin before 20253. The Energy & Climate Change minister said
that the delay in closure "would guarantee security of supply, limit the production of carbon
dioxide and allow us to maintain prices that protect consumer purchasing power and the
competitiveness of our companies".
However, a change of government in April 2010 occurred before the agreed proposals were
passed by parliament and the nuclear phase-out law remains in place.
In May 2010, CREG estimated the cost of producing electricity from Belgian nuclear power
plants as 1.7-2.1 Euro cents/kWh, including fuel cycle, operating, depreciation, and provisions
for decommissioning and waste management. This compared with the forward market price of 6
¢/kWh and the market price for green energy certificates at 8.8-10.7 ¢/kWh.
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In 1962, Belgium's first small nuclear power reactor was commissioned at Mol ± the 11 MWe
prototype BR3 PWR, which was imported from the USA. This was the first pressurised water
reactor (PWRo built in Europe.
In 1965, Synatom was formed as a syndicate for design of large nuclear power plants. It is now a
subsidiary of Electrabel, which is part of the Energy Europe & International business unit of
GDF Suez.
In 1966, the Franco-Belgian 305 MWe Chooz A prototype PWR was commissioned just across
the border in France, and it was decided to build the Doel 1 & 2 and Tihange 1 reactors in
Belgium, the last being a Franco-Belgian project. These were commissioned in 1974-75 and
upgraded in 1985 to improve seismic and other safety. Chooz A was closed in 1991 and is being
decommissioned by EDF.
In 1974, a further four reactors were ordered for Doel and Tihange sites. Doel is in Flanders
(northo and Tihange is in Wallonia (southo. It was decided in 1988 not to proceed with an eighth
unit, which was to be a 1400 MWe N4 type at Doel jointly owned by Electricité de France (EDFo
and Electrabel.
In addition, Electrabel has a 25% share in output of the two 1500 MWe Chooz B units
(effectively adding 750 MWeo and 458 MWe of Tricastin operated by EDF in France.
Reciprocally, EDF owns half of Tihange 1. Electrabel has also entered into a capacity swap
arrangement with E.ON that includes E.ON acquiring drawing rights for 770 MWe of capacity
from Doel 1, Doel 2 and Tihange 1; and Electrabel 700 MWe drawing rights from the Krümmel,
Gundremmingen and Unterweser nuclear plants in Germany4.
Belgian companies provided about 80% of the systems and equipment for the country's nuclear
facilities, though both Westinghouse and Framatome (now Arevao contributed.
The steam generators were replaced in Doel 2, 3 and 4 and Tihange 1, 2 and 3 between 1993 and
2004; and those of Doel 1 were replaced in 2009. Capacity uprates have also been carried out
during this period.
In 2009, Electrabel began preparing the safety case for extending the operating lives of Doel 1 &
2 and Tihange 1 by ten years. In May 2010, Electrabel called for bids to replace the turbines at
Doel 1 & 2 over 2011-15, including new instrumentation.
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