In addition to the 2400 MW may inherit E

There are two ways to read the agreement signed Friday between Suez and the Belgian Government. For Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, he meets certainly the initial objective: reshaping the landscape electric addition-Quiévrain. But in the end, the compromise found is much less penalizing than expected for the Franco-Belgian group. At the end of the negotiations conducted in Brussels, the electric subsidiary of Suez, Electrabel, must certainly make room for competitors, but largely limit business case. The assignments that the Belgian authorities have imposed will represent that 0.4 of world production capacity.

The scale of the Belgium, the commitments made by the Group announce despite any real disruption and should allow the emergence of at least two new players on the national market. First recipient of the agreement Friday, the second Belgian electrician, SPE, will see production capacity increase from 1,600 megawatts (MW) current 2.235 MW, or approximately 15 of the Belgian capacity. A rise all the more significant that it will exclusively be nuclear. Electrabel is particularly committed to cede 250 MW of additional capacity in several of its Belgian plants.

Both companies will also conduct an exchange of capacity (100 MW) between the French plant of Chooz B and slices in Belgium. Finally, through contracts for long term (probably ten years), Suez will be the equivalent of 285 MW nuclear available to SPE. These volumes of electricity will be transferred to the market price and not to cost, as it was a time claimed the Government. In total, are therefore 635 MW of nuclear capacity to be so transferred to SPE. Every reason to believe that this company will be one of the new players that the Belgian Government called its greeting. Except for coup de theatre, it will soon be in the hands of the British Centrica, already present in the capital of 25.5 and which should inherit from the participation of gas of France (25.5), which is committed to reselling it in the merger with Suez.

But this is not everything. Because, to open 30 of the Belgian electricity market objective claimed by Guy Verhofstadt, other actions were needed. Non-nuclear power, more than 2,400 MW of production capacity will be also auctioned by Suez. The idea is to assign to a single operator, in an exchange of assets. The stations "dropped" in Belgium would be so recovered elsewhere in Europe. At this stage of the discussions, E.ON seems best placed. If arriving in Belgium should be confirmed, the German electrician would take care of at the outset of this market place. In addition to the 2,400 MW may inherit, E.ON has already Belgium of land that could accommodate a 1,500 MW plant. But it happens that the Spanish Endesa, also acquiring on-site two land for the construction of 2 units of the same type. If the OPA has launched on the Hispanic operator ended, the German energy company would be able to operate in the term close to 7,000 MW addition-Quiévrain, more than half of the current fleet of Suez in Belgium.

What meet the Verhofstadt Government. No doubt much less a player as EDF. At the beginning of the year, the French electrician was set objectives to grow in Spain and in the Benelux. A few months later, it remains viewer of major manoeuvres triggered to the North and South of the hexagon. Its main rival, him, continues to push his pawns.