“Today we made an important decision regarding the energy supply of our country. In short: work can start tomorrow for the extension of the two youngest nuclear power plants. And we are taking our energy fate back into our hands,” said De Croo.
At the end of March, the De Croo government decided in extremis to keep the two youngest nuclear power plants, Doel 4 and Tihange 3, open for ten years longer than provided for in the Nuclear Exit Act (2003). The nuclear power plants must ensure the power supply now that Russia has gradually turned off the gas tap and many French nuclear power plants are experiencing major technical problems.
In the summer, an agreement in principle had already been concluded with Engie on the lifespan extension. Now that had to be converted into a formal deal about the future operation of the nuclear power plants and the handling of nuclear waste. The intention is that Doel 4 and Tihange 3 will be available at the end of 2026. For the time being, no maximum invoice for nuclear waste has been determined. That has yet to happen. According to government sources, there is an agreement on the formula used.
“The agreement goes much further than just about the extension of the nuclear power plants,” said Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen). She also emphasized the steps being taken for the processing of nuclear waste, security of supply and the high-performance structure in which the government will participate together with Engie. “With this we are working on more independence and we are getting back into the game driver’s seat to sit.”
The work is not yet done with this agreement, Van der Straeten admits. “We are not at the end yet. But all intermediate steps are important.”
Prime Minister De Croo and Minister of Energy Van der Straeten have been negotiating with Engie for almost ten months about extending the lifespan of Tihange 3 and Doel 4. MR chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez already suggested on Sunday afternoon that an agreement with the energy company was imminent. The intention was actually to have an agreement in place by December 31, but that turned out to be too tight. After the New Year, intensive meetings continued throughout the week.
“What we have decided here is about a cornerstone of our supply,” says De Croo. “We will do everything we can to ensure that the extension is completed as quickly as possible.”