Primary production from renewable energies in Belgium 2020

In Belgium, the primary energy produced by renewable sources mainly derived from solid biofuel, wind power, and renewable municipal waste. In 2020, primary energy produced by solid biofuel amounted to 1,174 kilotons of oil equivalent. During that year, primary production from wind power followed closely, reaching 1,097 kilotons of oil equivalent, whereas municipal waste generated 386 kilotons. On the other hand, among renewable source, geothermal power was the least fruitful in terms of energy production.

Belgium and nuclear power

The share of energy derived from renewable sources consumed in Belgium reached 9.92 percent in 2019. The country was mostly powered by nuclear energy. In 2018, Belgian nuclear plants produced over 7.4 thousand kilotons of oil equivalent energy. Although the Belgian production of nuclear power decreased in recent years, the amount of energy generated from nuclear power was more than double the amount of renewable energy.

The future of renewable energy in Belgium

From a European perspective, Belgium’s renewable energy sector was far behind. Alongside with Luxembourg, Malta, and the Netherlands, the country ranked among the European Union countries with the lowest share of renewable energy in their final consumption. According to the European Union goals for the year 2020, Belgium should reach for 13 percent of its energy consumption to be renewable. Therefore, the Belgian energy sector needs to shift further towards using more inexhaustible resources.