Doel 3 starts to die outand with this reactor little by little, the entire Belgian nuclear industry.
It is the fruit of a political decision taken in 2003 and validated until recently by a whole political generation, including in the last federal government statement.
Liberals (present in all governments since), socialists, nationalists and Christian democrats might have reversed the trend. Nobody did.
Paradigm shift
If indeed, environmentalists pushed for the nuclear phase-out law of 2003, they only regained power in 2020. In the meantime (17 years!), all governments might have reviewed this provision, in particular the rather pro- nuclear power in place between 2014 and 2019. Nothing happened and some are trying to get rid of it today, pushed by the war in Ukraine, which has shaken up the energy paradigm of the European Union (supported vigorously by Angela Merkel’s Germany) at all on cheap gas, while waiting for the hypothetical renewable.
Even Engie is part of this logic, gradually abandoning the nuclear sector. The multinational does not seem to intend to deviate from it.
Turnaround
Politically, everyone changes their minds: the president of the MR disavows his predecessorMP Marghem disavows la minister MarghemEcolo repudiates Ecolo by extending nuclear power and the PS is still wondering what the position of the PS is.
During this time, faithful to its logic, Engie extinguished the first reactor, while the negotiations on the (possible?) extension of two reactors with the federal government have still not been concluded.
This situation also constitutes the failure of a political generation. Nearly 20 years of chronic indecision/non-decision place our country in the greatest of energy uncertainties. The all-renewable remains an unattainable Holy Grail, the gas now unaffordable pollutes, it is too late to sustainably extend the entire nuclear fleet and new power plants are only vain dreams. A failure.