Following the shift imposed by the war in Ukraine, the government must enter into negotiations with Engie.
Correspondent in Brussels
The war in Ukraine has shattered the Belgian commitment to phase out nuclear power by 2025, set in stone since 2003. After discussions marred by tensions, the seven member parties of the ruling coalition (including the environmentalists French and Dutch speakers) agreed on Friday to postpone the deadline by ten years. Two of the seven most recent reactors will be extended: Doel 4 (near the port of Antwerp) and Tihange 3 (near the port of Liège), commissioned in 1985 and operated by Engie. Their extension, submitted to the Council of Ministers by the end of the month, “must make it possible to strengthen the independence of our country vis-à-vis fossil fuels in a chaotic geopolitical context”, according to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
Read alsoBelgium postpones its nuclear exit for ten years because of the war in Ukraine
In 2021, nuclear represented 52% of electricity production in Belgium, compared to 25% for gas. While the price of gas is soaring and the French nuclear fleet is experiencing difficulties…
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