The Belgian government not only wants to extend the life of the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 nuclear reactors by another 10 years, but also hopes to keep Tihange 1 running beyond its planned closure this year, De Tijd reported. Nuclear operator Engie, grid operator Elia and the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC – Federaal Agentschap voor Nucleaire Controle) are unconvinced.
Belgium has seven nuclear power reactors – three at Tihange near Liege and four at Doel near Antwerp. All seven are pressurised water reactors operated by Electrabel, part of Engie. Apart from Doel 1&2, which are 430 MWe plants, the others have a capacity of approximately 1000 MWe.
In May, Belgium’s Chamber of Representatives voted to repeal a 2003 law setting out plans to phase out nuclear power. The 2003 law set a date for the closure of Belgium’s seven nuclear plants and prohibited the construction of new nuclear capacity. Over the past two decades, the law has been amended several times to allow a number of plants to remain open longer.
Under the phase-out law, Doel 1 was to be taken out of service in 2015. However, the law was amended in 2013 and 2015 allowing it to operate for an additional 10 years. Doel 3 was closed in 2022 and Tihange 2 in 2023. Tihange 1 is set to shut in October this year and Doel 2 in December. Doel 4 and Tihange 3 were scheduled to close in November 2025 but the conflict in Ukraine and subsequent sanctions on Russian oil and gas resulted both being allowed to operate for 10 more years. The bill to repeal the nuclear exit law now allows for the possibility of further extension.
Energy minister Mathieu Bihet plans to open talks with Engie and EDF Luminus on extending Tihange 1 for another decade, De Tijd reported. Unlike the agreement reached by the previous government to keep Doel 4 and Tihange 3 running until 2035, prolonging the life of Tihange 1 is far less straightforward.
The reactor’s lifespan has already been extended by 10 years. Engie, which intends to exit Belgium’s nuclear sector after the current deal, is reluctant to consider another extension. It has previously said it did not see a future in nuclear energy.
Even if Bihet is successful, Tihange 1 would need to shut down for several years before a possible restart. Safety upgrades would be required, and the high-voltage grid around Liège will no longer be equipped to handle its output after this year. Elia is assessing what reinforcements are needed but has warned they would not be ready until 2031 or 2032.
FANC has also made clear that the plant would first have to undergo a full 10-year safety review before resuming operations. That process has not even begun and would take several years to complete. FANC also noted that the review would require an investment of several billion euros – a major challenge for a government already facing a budget deficit.
