Belgium can extend the operation of nuclear reactors if it acts quickly, says FANC
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgium’s nuclear regulatory agency on Monday agreed to a conditional extension of the operating life of two nuclear reactors, and called on the government to take a final decision on the matter in the first quarter 2022.
The seven parties of the government coalition in power in Brussels have been tearing each other apart for months on the subject, the Greens insisting that the 2003 law providing for the phase-out of nuclear power be respected, while the Reform Movement (MR), a French-speaking party from liberal inspiration, pleaded for the maintenance in activity of the two most recent reactors.
The two Belgian nuclear power plants, comprising a total of seven reactors and producing nearly half of the country’s electricity, are operated by the French company Engie.
The Belgian government reached an agreement in December on the closure of the country’s nuclear power plants in 2025, provided that this does not lead to an energy shortage.
The Federal Nuclear Control Agency (AFCN) said in a statement that the facilities would have to be updated if the government wishes to keep the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 reactors in operation.
The FANC said the government should request the development of a reactor operating extension plan by the end of January.
The Agency has also shown that such an extension should cover a period of at least ten years.
(Report Philip Blenkinsop; French version Camille Raynaud)