- Belgium wants to postpone nuclear phase-out by ten years. Two nuclear power plants should be able to continue operating at least until the end of 2035.
- This was confirmed by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on Friday evening after government consultations.
- The extension of the term is intended to ensure energy security in the country.
The war in Ukraine and the recently sharp rise in energy prices also play a role in the decision. The planned extension of the service life now has to be negotiated with the operator Engie. He had actually prepared to shut down the power plants by the end of 2025 and is now likely to demand a lot of money for the change of plan.
Switch to Plan B
De Croo emphasized that at the same time the switch to renewable energies would be accelerated. According to Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten, by 2030 30 percent of energy should come from renewable sources and oil and gas consumption be reduced by 15 percent.
Belgium had actually decided in 2003 to take the last reactors off the grid by 2025. But in 2021, according to the grid operator Elia, more than half of the electricity consumed was still produced by nuclear power. Last year, the government then agreed on two scenarios. Plan A: A phase-out by the end of 2025 with higher investments in new gas-fired power plants. Plan B: Keeping two reactors running.
Nuclear power socially acceptable again
Until recently, Plan B was considered unlikely. The operator Engie warned in December that it seemed impossible to guarantee the extension beyond 2025 – if only because of the cumbersome and time-consuming change in the law. In times of Russian aggression, however, nuclear power seems to be becoming socially acceptable again. In January, the regulator AFCN found that the two reactors could continue to operate under certain conditions.
Even if Belgium is less dependent on Russian gas than Germany, for example, thanks to a liquid gas terminal, there are major concerns about power and energy shortages. The government wants to get rid of Russian gas completely as soon as possible. And then there is the energy transition with the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2).
Deficiencies in the reactors
Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten from the Greens, who had previously resisted, ultimately backed the proposal. “We have a policy based on affordability, security of supply and sustainability,” she told the German Press Agency.
In neighboring Germany, the seven Belgian nuclear reactors from the 1970s and 80s that are still a source of discussion time and again, because defects such as dilapidated concrete parts have been identified several times. There have therefore been repeated calls for the reactors to be shut down.