Belgium Faces Winter Blackouts as Aging Reactors Falter
- Only 1 of 7 reactors will be operational at start of November
- Energy minister hopes power imports will help meet shortfall
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Belgium is bracing for power shortages this winter as the nation grapples with extended outages at its aging fleet of nuclear reactors.
The nation has secured extra capacity via a gas-fired power station in Vilvoorde, just outside of Brussels, and by measures including asking gas plants to increase their output to help ease the supply deficit, according to news agency Belga. Neighboring France, Germany and the Netherlands have agreed to send electricity through cross-border cables, according to Energy Minister Marie-Christine Marghem.