"An agreement has been reached with Engie to define the conditions and launch the necessary studies for a complete takeover of the Belgian nuclear fleet," Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever posted online.

"Until then, all dismantling activities are suspended with immediate effect."

De Wever has pledged to increase Belgium's use of nuclear energy -- after the previous government already backed off plans to quit the power.

"This government is choosing safe, affordable and sustainable energy, with less dependence on fossil fuel imports and more control over our own supply," he wrote.

Attention has refocused on nuclear power in Europe as a key source of energy as the Middle East War has sent oil and gas prices soaring.

The energy shock from the Iran war is the second to rock Europe in just a few years after an earlier one sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Engie operated seven reactors in Belgium through its Belgian subsidiary, at Tihange in the eastern Liege region and at Doel, near Antwerp.

However, only two of these reactors have had their operating licenses extended beyond 2025, for a period of ten years, under an agreement reached in 2023 by the previous Belgian government.

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Engie