Belgium reverses course on nuclear power under De Wever government

The coalition agreement of Bart De Wever's government puts a strong emphasis on nuclear energy, with the aim of generating 4 GW of nuclear power. This decision represents a clean break with the policies of Belgium's previous governments.

Belgium's break with nuclear began in 1999 with the coalition agreement of Guy Verhofstadt's government and was enshrined in law in 2003. The law states that no new nuclear reactors will be built in the country and that existing reactors will eventually be decommissioned.

Since its inception, many have opposed the nuclear exit law due to the lack of viable alternatives. This includes De Wever's government.

"We are targeting a 4 GW share of nuclear power in our electricity mix," the agreement states. "The government is committed to ensuring the extension of existing capacity in the short term and in the longer term we are investing in building new capacity."

"We are targeting a 4 GW share of nuclear power in our electricity mix"

Specifically, De Wever's government wants to change the nuclear exit law to facilitate the construction of new nuclear power plants. It also wants to extend the life of the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 nuclear reactors by at least 10 years. This is in addition to the existing 10-year extension decided by the previous government.

Furthermore, De Wever wants to look into the extension of Doel 1, Doel 2 and Tihange 1 nuclear reactors. These reactors are the oldest in the country and are already in the process of being decommissioned. They are set to shut down this year, Doel 1 as soon as this month.

The Doel nuclear plant seen from Antwerp harbour © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
The Doel nuclear plant seen from Antwerp harbour © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK

'Unthinkable' life extensions

Nuclear operator Engie strongly opposes De Wever's plans. It says it is concentrating on decommissioning the already shut-down nuclear plants, safely shutting down the reactors that will close in 2025 and extending Doel 4 and Tihange 3 until 2035. Keeping nuclear power plants open even longer is "unthinkable", said Engie Belgium CEO Vincent Verbeke last month.

Engie has also said several times that nuclear power is no longer part of its strategic ambitions, and that it is no longer investing in nuclear power. That means the new government will have to either find a new operator, or nationalise the nuclear power plants, to facilitate further life extensions.

The De Wever government wants to work out a concrete plan to support the construction of the first small modular reactor in Belgium. The aim is to generate 4 GW of nuclear power, using both existing nuclear reactors and new initiatives.

The agreement does not specify when this target will be reached. The construction of nuclear power plants is often plagued by delays and higher than expected costs.

 

The city of Huy and the Tihange nuclear plant © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK


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