Belgium is reversing its decadeslong phasing-out course, seeking more energy independence by reviving its nuclear plants.
The Belgian government signed on Thursday a Letter of Intent to acquire Electrabel’s (ENGIE) entire nuclear operations in the country.
Such a move would reverse the phase-out of nuclear energy legislation adopted in the early 2000s amid safety concerns.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever stated that the country is aiming to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and gain greater autonomy in managing its own energy supplies.
A reversal of nuclear phase-out in Belgium
The negotiations will include all seven reactors ENGIE manages, including staff, assets and liabilities such as waste management.
“This government chooses safe, affordable, and sustainable energy,” De Wever said of the plan. “With less dependence on fossil imports and more control over our own supply.”
Of the seven reactors, only two are operational and generating electricity. The agreement would suspend the planned dismantling of the remaining facilities.
The nationalization plan comes after Belgium scrapped a two-decade old nuclear phase-out plans last year. In recent years, Belgium has also introduced attempts to extend the lives of the country’s oldest reactors. Both moves were motivated by the surge in energy prices following the war in Ukraine.
In 2003, the Belgian Senate approved an act amid safety concerns prohibiting the building of new nuclear power plants and limiting the operating lifetimes of existing ones to 40 years.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the share of electricity generated by the country’s reactors has declined from a high of about 60% in the early 2000s to about 40% today.
Is Europe going back to nuclear?
In the last two months, the war in Iran has sent energy prices soaring across the world. This marks the second blow to the energy markets in Europe after the continent had largely transitioned away from Russian fossil fuels following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has tightened supplies, sending Belgium’s energy inflation up 10.6% in April, the Belga news agency reported.
Europe, which imports a large share of its energy, is attempting to revive homegrown nuclear power to stabilize its energy markets.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last month that Europe’s turn away from nuclear power had been a “strategic mistake.”
In a 2024 EU survey, about 56% of EU citizens believed that nuclear energy would positively affect their way of life over the next 20 years, while 35% held a negative view.
Edited by: Alex Berry
DW News
