The nuclear future in Belgium: where are the political discussions?
Tempers flared on Tuesday in the House Energy Committee about the progress of bills expected by some of the deputies in the nuclear field, in particular the modification of the 2003 law on the exit from nuclear power. and that concerning the production of low-carbon energy including “SMR”, or mini-nuclear reactors.
The president, Christian Leysen (Open Vld), announced that he would write to the government to ask “insistently” Where remained the project. The ecologists and the PS, dissatisfied with the turn that supported the meeting, left the session.
On December 23, 2021, the government integrated next-generation nuclear power into the “energy mix” Belgian. It aims to develop “Small Modular Reactors” (SMR) in which he decided to invest 100 million euros over four years. And on March 18, 2022, he decided to extend the two most recent reactors of the Belgian nuclear fleet.
At the same time, four bills issued by the MR, the CD&V, the Open Vld and the N-VA, relating to these new nuclear capacities and/or to the exit from nuclear power are on the agenda of the committee In the eyes of Mr. Leysen, the current crisis means accelerating the pace in this area.
Negotiations still ongoing between Engie and the government
The Flemish liberal also indicated last week in his Statement to the Chamber that the government was examining how the country could increase its energy capacity, both nuclear and renewable. “If a change in the law is necessary for logistical reasons, I would add that, for the sake of consistency, we must restore the confidence of research centers and producers to encourage them to innovate. It is clear that the government has still not tabled its bill”he said.
Pending more clarity, he proposed to suspend the examination of the bills but to request a technical-legal analysis of them. “President Leysen went it alone by inventing a discussion program on these bills, without consultation with the majority, which is not the way to do it”was indignant the deputy Samuel Cogolati (Ecolo-Groen).
At present, negotiations are taking place at the highest level between Engie and the government on the extension of two reactors, he noted. In his eyes, the modification of the 2003 law also has nothing to do for the moment with research on SMRs which has already begun and whose outcome is expected in the 2040s.
The subject should return to the agenda after COP27, which will take place from November 6 to 18. In the meantime, through the voice of Marie-Christine Marghem and Bert Wollants, the MR and the N-VA have shown themselves targeted by the constitution of a working group in the commission to look into the various texts.