Belgium reopens the nuclear door in high-stakes deal with Engie

Published on 30/04/2026 - 16:23 GMT+2

The Belgian authorities volition spouse with the French vigor elephantine to revive atomic powerfulness successful its vigor premix arsenic soaring energy prices, driven by ongoing disruptions successful the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty successful the Middle East, person already pushed the country's ostentation to 4% successful April.

Belgium's plans to signifier retired atomic vigor by 2025 were partially derailed by Russia’s 2022 penetration of Ukraine, which drove a surge successful earthy state and energy prices.

While the thought of revoking the 2003 Belgian instrumentality to unopen down each atomic reactors faced absorption from the Greens, the Belgian parliament repealed it successful May 2025.

With a caller vigor situation already driving energy prices up by much than 50% and uncertainty implicit the duration of the Middle East crisis, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever unveiled connected Thursday a woody with Engie to behaviour feasibility studies for a afloat takeover of the Belgian atomic powerfulness works and the halt of decommissioning activities.

"This authorities opts for secure, affordable, and sustainable energy. With little dependence connected fossil substance imports and much power implicit our ain supply," De Wever said connected Thursday.

The woody signed connected Thursday aims to scope an statement connected the takeover of the atomic fleet by 1 October, but it remains unclear however overmuch Belgium volition wage for this atomic renaissance.

Belgium boasts 7 atomic reactors: 4 astatine Doel successful East Flanders and 3 successful Tihange successful Wallonia. Two of these are inactive operational: Doel 4 and Tihange 3. Their operating licenses were precocious extended until 2035, but amid vulnerabilities exposed by the vigor crisis, the authorities whitethorn see extending them further.

"With this, the Belgian authorities assumes work for the country's semipermanent vigor supply, with the purpose of processing a financially and economically viable enactment that supports information of supply, clime objectives, concern resilience, and socio-economic prosperity," reads the property connection from the Belgian authorities and Engie.

Belgian Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet dubbed the government's determination a "coherent governmental vision" which volition guarantee cheaper vigor prices and a reliable supply, portion strengthening Belgium’s strategical vigor autonomy.

"Less than a twelvemonth aft the instrumentality enabling the instrumentality of atomic vigor successful Belgium came into force, this momentum is already materialising done our determination to regain power of our assets and capabilities," Belgian Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet told Euronews.

In 2024, nether Alexander de Croo's government, Belgium hosted a landmark atomic summit, drafting eleven EU countries to backmost a declaration to boost atomic energy.

Two years later, Paris hosted the atomic summit, with galore nations successful attendance pledging to deploy tiny modular reactors to antagonistic vigor terms volatility and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying that phasing retired atomic powerfulness was a "strategic mistake".