Industry forum warns ‘we cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past’
Belgium’s new government announced plans to secure the country’s reliance on nuclear energy, aiming for a 4 GW share in the country's electricity mix as part of efforts to secure a carbon-free baseload capacity.
According to a coalition agreement, plans will aim to “restart” Belgium’s nuclear industry and see the operating life extension of existing nuclear plants and the construction of new reactors in the coming years.
The government plans to repeal 2003 legislation that mandated a nuclear phaseout in Belgium, enabling the continued operation and expansion of nuclear capacity. Consecutive governments had drawn up plans to reduce nuclear power based on the 2003 law and amendments in 2019 that planned for a partial nuclear phaseout in 2025.
Out of Belgium’s seven commercial reactors, two – Doel-3 and Tihange-2 – were shut down in 2022 and 2023. The country currently operates a fleet of five reactor units at Doel and Tihange.
Under current regulations, Tihange-1, Doel-1 and Doel-2 will remain operational until 2025, while Doel-4 and Tihange-3 will receive operational extensions until around 2035.
Both units were scheduled to be shut down in 2025, but in December 2023 the Belgian government signed an agreement with French utility company Engie to extend the life of two of the two units in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine and ensuing energy security concerns.
The coalition agreement confirmed the lifetime extensions of Doel-4 and Tihange-3 for at least 10 years.
It also said efforts will be made to “remove obstacles” and “facilitate and accelerate” the construction of new reactors.
The government wants “more prominence” for nuclear on the European Union agenda and said it will advocate for a European nuclear strategy, including an update to the Euratom treaty, which coordinates nuclear energy research, ensures a secure supply of nuclear fuel, and promote safety standards across EU member states.
The government also pledged to preserve Belgium’s nuclear expertise and intellectual property to “avoid the loss of a strategic asset for the country.”
Nuclear Forum Says There Is No Time To Lose
The Belgian Nuclear Forum, a Brussels-based nuclear industry group, has called on the government to repeal the nuclear phaseout law “without further delay” as to remove any legal obstacle to the extension of existing reactors and the construction of new ones.
“There is no time to lose on the energy issue,” the forum warned in a statement and said it will invite all government and industry stakeholders to a newly formed task force which will aim to facilitate “this nuclear revival”.
“We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past by working in silos,” the forum said.
In terms of new-build, the forum believes small modular reactors are a priority option to look at, while concerning the existing large-scale fleet, the forum sees a need to consider changing the current reactor operator if it “continues to adhere to its announced strategy and no longer sees a future for nuclear energy in Belgium.”
The forum said there must be clarity as soon as possible about the role that the current operator still wants to or can play. The Belgian reactor fleet is operated by Electrabel, subsidiary of France’s Engie.
Belgium’s new government has been formed after general elections in June 2024 followed by nearly eight months of multi-party negotiations.
The coalition, led by prime minister Bart De Wever of the New Flemish Alliance, comprises five parties leaning mostly towards the right or centre-right of the political spectrum. These are: the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V), Vooruit (Forward), the Reformist Movement (MR), and Les Engagés.
