Hechtel-Eksel (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Christmas celebrations were interrupted for around 10,000 families in Limburg on Christmas Day due to a sudden power outage caused by a small explosion at a transformer station in Hechtel. The outage, which started just before 2 p.m., left residents in Hechtel-Eksel, Peer, and parts of Leopoldsburg and Helchteren without electricity for approximately two hours, impacting both homes and businesses.
Families and Businesses Disrupted
Many families celebrating Christmas were caught off guard. Evelien Deckers from Hechtel-Eksel shared, “We were just heating up the snacks when the power was gone. So, we made a bowl of chips instead.” For others, the disruption was more significant. Caterer Ercan of Hoeve ‘t Verloren Eind faced delays with his holiday orders. “The ovens didn’t work, fridges and freezers were out, and we couldn’t deliver on time. We had to notify customers that dishes would be ready later,” he said, adding that cold snacks were prepared despite limited light.
In the municipal nursing home, emergency lighting was activated, but residents experienced additional challenges as elevators stopped functioning and alarm systems failed to send signals. “This caused concern among residents,” said Hechtel-Eksel Mayor Jan Dalemans, who reassured the public through a BE-Alert and social media updates, emphasizing the outage’s temporary nature.
Christmas Plans on Hold
For some residents, the power cut meant a delayed or improvised Christmas meal. Jan Vanrintel noted, “After a good hour without electricity, the house starts to cool down. Now people realize how indispensable utilities like water, electricity, and natural gas really are.”
Others made the best of the situation. Veronique Emmers shared her experience: “We had Chinese takeaway just before the power went out. The wine stayed cold in the fridge, and we lit candles with Radio 2 in the background. There are worse things in the world.”
Cause and Resolution
The outage was traced to a technical failure in a small business cabin at the transformer station on Slegerstraat, which resulted in a minor explosion. Fluvius, the regional grid operator, responded quickly. “Our teams worked as fast as possible, and power was restored within two hours,” said a Fluvius spokesperson.
Moving Forward
By late afternoon, electricity was back for all affected areas, ensuring that evening Christmas celebrations could continue as planned. While the disruption was brief, it highlighted the reliance on electricity during festive and everyday moments alike.
Historical Context: Belgium’s Power Outage Problems
Past Christmas seasons in Belgium have been marred by incidents of power outages, a factor that shows the vulnerability of the country with regard to energy supply. On Christmas Day in 2013, a violent storm crippled power supplies and plunged over a million people into darkness, some of them for over 48 hours. Strong winds cut electricity cables across the country.
Similarly, in winter 2014-2015, fears of power shortages were raised after a report by transmission system operator Elia warned of a possible 49-hour power outage risk during the colder months, due to the simultaneous shutdown of three nuclear reactors and limited energy reserves.
Although this year’s Christmas Day outage in Limburg was restored rather quickly, history serves as a reminder of the importance of keeping the power infrastructure resilient during the festive season.
