Belgium, together with France’s ENGIE and Electrabel, has announced the signing of a Letter of Intent establishing the framework for exclusive negotiations on the possible acquisition of all nuclear assets held by ENGIE and Electrabel by the Belgian State (ENGIE press release, 30/04/2026).
The contemplated transaction would encompass all nuclear-related activities currently owned and operated by ENGIE and its subsidiary Electrabel, including the country’s seven nuclear reactors. According to the Belgian Prime Minister, the deal would also include the suspension of plans to phase out nuclear operations in Belgium. The parties aim to negotiate and finalize heads of terms by 1 October 2026, outlining the main terms and conditions of the transaction, as stated in the company’s press release.
Nuclear energy plays a key role in Belgium’s energy security, representing 41% of power generation in 2024, according to our data.
In 2025, the Belgian Parliament approved an agreement reversing the country’s nuclear phase-out policy, adopted in 2023, that mandated the gradual shutdown of its seven reactors by 2025 after 40 years of operation. The 2025 law removed references in the law to a full nuclear exit by 2025, as well as lifting the ban on developing new nuclear capacity. Earlier, in 2003, Belgium had adopted legislation (Enerdata Global Energy Research).
At the end of 2025, five of Belgium's seven nuclear reactors had been permanently shut down (Doel 1, Doel 2, Doel 3, Tihange 1 and Tihange 2) as part of the country's nuclear phase-out policy. Only Doel 4 and Tihange 3 were set to remain in operation, extended until 2035 under the agreement signed with Engie in 2023. Both units were however taken offline for scheduled maintenance in early April 2026, temporarily leaving Belgium with no nuclear output whatsoever. Their restart is expected in November 2026. The seven reactors have a combined capacity of around 6 GW, while the two reactors scheduled to restart at the end of 2026 total 2 GW.
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