Figures from the electricity grid management company Elia show that electricity consumption in Belgium fell by 3.3% in 2022 compared with 2021. During last year 81.7 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity were consumed in Belgium. Elia says that high energy prices have served to reduce electricity consumption as consumers take measures to save electricity wherever they can. Meanwhile, the production of renewable energy in Belgium increased still further, while the percentage of nuclear power in the country’s energy mix fell to below 50%.
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Electricity consumption in Belgium fell by 3.3% in 2022
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The fall in the consumption of electricity was particularly marked during the fourth quarter of 2022. During October, November and December of last year the amount of electricity consumed was 8% down on the average for the last quarter of the past 5 years. In November 2022 we consumed 11.1% less electricity than we had on average during the previous 5 months of November.
Between 1 January and 30 September 2022 electricity consumption was down 2% on the average for the first 9 months of the previous 5 years. In addition to high energy prices the weather also had an influence on energy consumption.
Renewable energy production at a new high
Never before was so much renewable energy produced in Belgium as in 2022. Wind and solar power accounted for 17.4 terawatt hours of the energy produced here. This is up from 15.2 terawatt hours in 2021.
Nuclear power still the biggest source
Nuclear power was still the biggest source of the electricity in 2022. However, last year it accounted for less than 50% (47.3%) of the country’s electricity. In 2021 52.2% of the country’s electricity was sourced from nuclear power.
Belgium’s nuclear power stations produced 41.8 terawatt hours of electricity. Gas-fired power stations produced 23.8 terawatt hours of electricity and accounted for 26.9% of Belgium’s energy mix.
In 2022 Belgium remained a net exporter of electricity. During last year we exported 6.6 terawatt hours more electricity than we imported.