According to preliminary data released by the Belgian federal energy regulator CREG, power consumption dipped by 2.9% in 2013, from 81.7 TWh to 79.3 TWh, i.e. below its 2009 level (81.6 TWh). This consumption does not take into account local production (such as solar panels). Net imports rose by 3.2% (to 9.7 TWh according to CREG data), reaching their highest level since 2008. Power generation on the Elia transmission grid dropped by 2%, from 64.9 TWh in 2012 to 63.6 TWh in 2013, despite a 5.4% increase in nuclear generation. Gas-fired generation collapsed (-16% in 2013) and was not offset by a higher coal-fired generation (-14% to about 3 TWh). Wind power generation on Elia's grid increased significantly in 2013 but remains marginal compared to conventional production.
Where gas is concerned, gas consumption remained unchanged in Belgium in 2013 (-1.1% to 183 TWh, similar to 2011), but the import mix by country varied greatly over the 2-year period. In 2013, Belgium exported 8.3 TWh of gas to the United Kingdom (which exported nearly 97 TWh to Belgium in 2011). Imports from the Netherlands increased significantly in 2013 (+32% to 189 TWh, i.e. 80 TWh more than in 2011), while imports from Norway rose to 155 TWh in 2013 (+4.1%). LNG imports have dramatically fallen since 2011, from 57 TWh to 16 TWh in 2013.