Belgium: Parliament repeals the nuclear phase-out, which had been enshrined in law since 2003
By The New Obs with AFP
Published on
The Golfech nuclear power plant in southern France on May 23, 2024. ADIL BENAYACHE/SIPA
Belgium confirmed on Thursday, May 15, its decision to abandon nuclear power through a vote by MPs repealing a landmark 2003 law, in accordance with the commitment of the government led by the Flemish conservative Bart De Wever .
Concretely, the new text, voted by a large majority, removes all reference to an exit from nuclear power in 2025 , as well as the ban on Belgium building new nuclear production capacities.
It offers the possibility of extending the lifespan of other reactors, beyond the two already extended for ten years – until 2035 – following an agreement concluded in 2023 between the Belgian State and the nuclear park operator, the French group Engie.
Investing in new reactors"The Federal Parliament has just turned the page on two decades of blockages and hesitation to pave the way for a realistic and resilient energy model," said Belgian Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet. Upon taking office three and a half months ago, the new government said it was counting on "a nuclear energy share of 4 gigawatts (GW)," which corresponds to the capacity of four reactors.
The five-party coalition agreement mentions the intention, in the short term, to "extend existing capacity" but also, in the long term, to invest in new reactors. Nuclear power accounts for approximately 42% of the electricity produced in Belgium, and the De Wever coalition wants it to maintain this role as a pillar.
Also read
Jeremy Rifkin: "If France continues to opt for nuclear power, it will hit a wall"
It now remains to convince the current operator to support this objective. "Engie remains the owner and operator of the reactors, we will have to open a dialogue with them to understand their intentions," declared Mathieu Bihet.
Asked by AFP, the Engie group assured that it was working to extend the life of the two reactors (Doel 4 and Tihange 3) covered by the 2023 agreement with the previous government. However, "nuclear power is no longer part of the Engie group's strategy," a spokesperson added.
"Communication operation"For decades, Belgium has benefited from the energy of seven reactors operated by Electrabel, a subsidiary of Engie. Located between Doel, near Antwerp (north), and Tihange, in the Liège region (east), this fleet was supposed to be completely shut down by the end of 2025 at the latest, according to the law passed in 2003 during the Greens' first participation in the federal government.
Three of the seven reactors have already been disconnected from the grid since 2022 , and two more are due to be disconnected next autumn, according to the shutdown programme currently in force. "It's a PR stunt that will change absolutely nothing," denounced Samuel Cogolati, co-president of the Ecolo party.
Also read
2011 Series : Fukushima's electroshock reopens the nuclear debate
