According to the Belgian power transmission network operator Elia, Belgium needs to add 3.9 GW of new power capacity (up from a previous estimate of 3.6 GW) to cope with the planned nuclear exit by 2025. Even if two reactors (2 GW) remained opened after 2025-2026, the power grid would still require new capacity. In addition, the accelerated coal exit in neighbouring countries could raise the needed capacity by another 1 GW over the 2022-2025 period. Indeed, Elia estimates that around 100 GW of coal-fired and nuclear power plants will be shut down in Europe in the next 10 years, i.e. 26 GW more than in the previous adequacy and flexibility study led by Elia in 2016.
Elia promotes a market-wide capacity remuneration mechanism (CRM), which should be technology-neutral (production, storage, demand management, etc.) and in line with EU legislations. The company also promotes the use of energy storage and demand response to help cope with fluctuations in a renewable electricity system.
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