Risk of winter blackouts exaggerated, says regulator

Predictions that Belgium is at risk of power outages during the winter are unfounded, according to a study by CREG, the federal Regulatory Commission for Electricity and Gas, reported in today's papers. Looking at the winter of 2014-15 it found that there would have been little need to draw on the power reserve. Assuming that supplies stay the same, the winter to come should also be free of power outages.

It concludes that the way the network operator calculates how much energy will be required by the country during times of high demand is flawed. "The current method lacks transparency and leads to predictions for strategic reserve activation which are scarcely credible, given what was seen last winter," it says.

However CREG warns that a reserve is still required. Even outside the winter period the market can experience relative shortages because power stations fail or go off-line for other reasons, or there can be connection failures.