Belgium has agreed a deal with French energy firm Engie on extending the life of two nuclear reactors for a decade, the two sides said on Monday.

Brussels in March had announced it was delaying its long-planned exit from nuclear energy in 2025 for 10 years as Russia's war on Ukraine sent power prices soaring.

The accord with Engie comes after months of fierce negotiation with the Belgian authorities over key questions such as how to set up the joint venture running the reactors and capping costs for the disposing of nuclear waste.

Engie said the "agreement in principle constitutes an important step, and paves the way for the conclusion of full agreements in the upcoming months".

"It also provides for the immediate start of environmental and technical studies prior to obtaining the authorisations related to this extension," it said.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told a press conference that meant "work can start tomorrow for the extension of the two most recent reactors".

Wedged between nuclear-powered France and gas-and-coal-dependent Germany, Belgium has relied on an ageing stable of seven nuclear reactors operated by Engie for about half of its electricity needs.

The promise of a gradual phase-out of nuclear power has been enshrined in Belgian law since 2003 and the decision to delay the moratorium was fiercely resisted by the Greens party.

The plan outlined last year saw Belgium's fragile coalition government agree to extend the operating lives of the Doel 4 reactor near the port city of Antwerp and Tihange 3 near Liege until 2035.

The move came after years of squabbling over the wisdom of the country's nuclear exit.

Belgium's Greens had made an exit from nuclear power in 2025 a condition to join a seven-party coalition that was painfully cobbled together in 2020, more than a year after inconclusive elections.

But after Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine and the surge in energy prices, the party agreed to consider an alternative scenario.

Nonetheless, the country has stuck to a plan to shut down two older reactors.

mad/del/imm

Engie

Related Links
Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

BWXT Starts Production of TRISO Fuel for First U.S. Generation IV Microreactor
Lynchburg VA (SPX) Jan 11, 2023
BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT) with officials from the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA and Idaho National Laboratory celebrated the landmark production of TRISO nuclear fuel that will power the first microreactor built and operated in the United States. The Department of Energy (DOE) calls TRISO "the most robust nuclear fuel on earth." The small, energy-dense coated uranium particles can withstand high temperatures, enabling smaller and more advanced reactor designs. ... read more