The Belgium’s Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) has given the green light for the restart of the Tihange 3 nuclear reactor. The reactor will be restarted in the coming days, following an agreement reached between the Belgian government and Engie's subsidiary Electrabel. The restart follows a maintenance shutdown that began in April 2025, as part of preparations for the continued operation of Tihange 3 until 2035.
Engie has also developed an action plan for the Doel 4 reactor, which still requires approval from FANC. As with Tihange 3, the goal is to restart it by 1 November 2025, at the latest.The Tihange 3 and Doel 4 reactors, each with a capacity of 1 GW, will enable electricity production for another ten years.
As of July 2025, Belgium has four nuclear reactors in operation, with a total capacity of approximately 3.5 GW. Under a nuclear phase-out law of 2003, all seven nuclear reactors in Belgium had to be closed by 2025. However, in March 2022, in light of concerns about energy security, the Belgian government decided to keep its two newest nuclear power plants, Doel-4 and Tihange-3, open for an additional 10 years. In May 2025 Belgium's parliament repealed the 2003 phase-out law.
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