The Belgian government on Thursday signed a letter of intent to acquire the entire nuclear operations of Electrabel (ENGIE) in the country.
Such a move would reverse a phasing out nuclear energy law adopted in the early 2000s amid safety concerns.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever said the country aims to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and gain greater autonomy in managing its energy supply.
The adverse effects of nuclear phase-out in Belgium
The talks will cover all seven reactors managed by ENGIE, including liabilities such as personnel, property and waste management.
“This government chooses secure, affordable and sustainable energy,” De Wever said of the plan. “With less reliance on fossil imports and greater control over our own supply.”
Of the seven reactors, only two are operational and generating electricity. The agreement will suspend the planned dismantling of the remaining facilities.
The nationalization plan comes after Belgium scrapped a two-decade-old nuclear phase-out plan last year. In recent years, Belgium has also begun efforts to extend the lives of the country’s oldest reactors. Both moves were motivated by rising energy prices after the war in Ukraine.
In 2003, amid safety concerns, the Belgian Senate approved an act banning the construction of new nuclear power plants and limiting the operational lifetime of existing ones to 40 years.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the share of electricity produced by the country’s reactors has declined from about 60% in the early 2000s to about 40% today.
Is Europe going back to nuclear?
Over the past two months, the war in Iran has sent energy prices soaring around the world. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the second blow to energy markets in Europe after the continent largely transitioned away from Russian fossil fuels.
The ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has tightened supplies, causing Belgian energy inflation to rise 10.6% in April, Belga news agency reports.
Europe, which imports a large share of its energy, is attempting to revive domestic nuclear power to stabilize its energy markets.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last month that Europe’s move away from nuclear power was a “strategic mistake.”
In the 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