The Belgian Government and the French energy group Engie have reached an agreement for the 10-year life extension of the Tihange-3 and Doel-4 nuclear reactors in Belgium. The nuclear reactors, which total 2 GW of capacity, will be able to operate until 2035.
In late February 2025, the European Commission had approved a revised Belgian support measure for the lifetime extension of the reactors. Doel 4 and Tihange 3 will be held in a joint venture equally owned by the Belgian State and Engie, with a contract for difference mechanism allowing a balanced sharing of risks. The deal also includes transfer of responsibility related to nuclear waste. As a result of the transfer of all nuclear waste liabilities to the Belgian government, Engie will no longer be exposed to the evolution of future costs related to the treatment of waste.
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 security of energy supply in, the Belgian federal government decided to keep its two newest nuclear power plants, Doel-4 and Tihange-3, open for an additional 10 years.
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