EU competition regulators have approved Belgium’s plan to grant state aid to French energy company Engie’s Belgian business to extend the lifespan of two nuclear power reactors.
Under the Belgian nuclear phaseout law of 2003, all seven* nuclear reactors in Belgium had to be permanently shut down by 2025.
In March 2022, in light of concerns about security of supply in the context of the energy crisis and the Russian war against Ukraine, the Belgian federal government decided to keep the two newest Belgian nuclear power plants – Doel-4 near Antwerp and Tihange-3 near Liege – in operation for an additional 10 years.
In June 2024, Belgium notified the European Commission of its plan to support the lifetime extension of the two nuclear reactors, which together have a net electricity generation capacity of more than 2,000 MW.