Belgium’s federal government is beginning negotiations with French energy giant Engie with a view to taking over Belgium’s nuclear power stations. Engie and the Belgian government announced the news in a joint press release. Pending an agreement, all decommissioning activities at the power stations will be suspended.
Climate & Environment
Belgian government launches talks with Engie to take over nuclear power stations
Colin Clapson
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The announcement, which Prime Minister Bart De Wever (Flemish nationalist N-VA) also posted on X, comes as a surprise. The government wants to keep open as many power stations as possible for as long as possible, but negotiations on this issue with operator Engie have been very difficult.
Belgium boasts seven nuclear reactors: four at Doel in East Flanders and three in Tihange in Wallonia. Two of these are still operational: Doel 4 and Tihange 3. Their operating licences were recently extended until 2035. The government may well wish to extend them further.
The other reactors were shut down between 2022 and 2025. On several occasions Engie has warned that reopening them now would be very difficult in practical terms and would cost a great deal of money and time. However, the idea of doing so has been under consideration within the government for some time.
Engie and the government have agreed to halt all decommissioning work pending an agreement. “This keeps all options open for the Belgian state.”
The aim is to reach an agreement on the takeover of the nuclear fleet by 1 October. In practice, this involves the reactors, the staff, all nuclear subsidiaries and all assets and liabilities, including the obligations relating to decommissioning and shutdown.
‘Secure and affordable energy’
‘This government is committed to secure, affordable and sustainable energy. With less reliance on fossil fuel imports and greater control over our own supply,’ says Prime Minister De Wever.
The idea of retaining nuclear energy or creating new capacity gained traction due to the 2022 energy crisis (following the Russian further invasion of Ukraine) and, more recently, due to the US and Israeli war against Iran, which is causing oil prices to rise once again.
‘In doing so, the Belgian government is taking responsibility for the country’s long-term energy supply, with the aim of developing a financially and economically viable activity that supports security of supply, climate targets, industrial resilience and socio-economic prosperity,’ the Belgian government notes.