The Select Ministerial Committee of the federal government agreed on Friday on the extension of two nuclear reactors beyond 2025. A plan to ensure greater energy independence, integrating renewable energies, has been announced. This Saturday, Alexander De Croo was invited on the set of RTL Info to discuss the energy future of Belgium.
A restricted council of ministers took place this Friday. The Prime Minister and his Deputy Prime Ministers have decided on the future of the energy mix in Belgium. Namely, how to develop the different energy sources that will allow us to produce enough electricity for the needs of the population and businesses in our country.
“We are in very uncertain times, the choice we have made is to choose certainty: the extension of the two most recent nuclear reactors. But at the same time, we are also going to accelerate everything that is renewable. The goal it is to become energy independent as much as possible. The combination of extending nuclear power and accelerating renewables is the best choice to make”, explained Alexander De Croo on the set of RTL Info 7 p.m.
Read also: The government decides to maintain nuclear power in Belgium
For him, the plan validated by the Ministerial Committee “guarantees security for the following years”. Without betting everything on nuclear: “We are going to bet on research in the nuclear of the future, what are called small modular reactors. It is a technology which is said to have none of the current drawbacks of nuclear, namely waste. And ohhas a lot of expertise in our country”, he explains.
Lower VAT also on renewable energy
Between now and 2035, Belgium will therefore have to actively fund research in this sector, in order to become as independent as possible of fossil fuels. To do this, and to promote renewable energy, the agreement also includes a 6% reduction in VAT on solar panels, heat pumps and solar water heaters for all homes under 10 years old.
“Lhe reduction will come into effect on 1is April until the end of 2023. There is no better time than now to become independent of fossil fuels. Photovoltaic is a way to reduce the daily energy bill, it’s time to invest and we want to support these initiatives with a reduction in VAT”, added the Prime Minister.
European countries will consult next week: they will take decisions to make the gas market more “reasonable”
So that the gas market “become reasonable once more”several European countries, including Belgium, Italy, France and Germany, believe that prices should be capped: “More and more countries are convinced that we have to intervene. There is a European summit next week, and we would like to buy in groups, a bit like for vaccines once morest covid, with a capping mechanism”.
For Alexander De Croo, this is the 3rd stage: “At the beginning of the week, we made decisions to lower the bill in the short term. Here we made decisions in relation to energy independence. And next week, we will make decisions so that the gas market becomes new reasonable, with affordable prices”, he finished.