Jan 9 (Reuters) – Belgium and Engie have reached an agreement to extend the operational life of two nuclear reactors, Doel 4 and Tihange 3, by ten years, for a total production capacity of two gigawatts, the energy group said French.
Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with his main ministers, Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre De Croo described this measure as “crucial to guarantee the country’s energy security”.
He said full details of the deal have yet to be finalized.
Engie said that it sees this agreement in principle as an “important step”, because it defines in particular “the framework for capping future costs linked to the treatment of nuclear waste” and makes it possible to “immediately initiate environmental and technical studies prior to obtaining the authorizations related to this extension”.
In a press release, the French group added that the two parties had thus confirmed “their objective of implementing their best efforts to restart the nuclear units of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 in November 2026”. (Written by Jean Terzian, with Charlotte Van Campenhout in Brussels)
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