Belgium’s recent decision to delay the exit from nuclear energy by ten years is already making waves. Rather than shut down all of its seven reactors, the government announced that two will remain operative: Doel 4 near the Port of Antwerp and Tihange 3 near Liège.
Luxembourg’s Minister for Energy Claude Turmes posted a tweet on Saturday to voice his disapproval over the sudden change of course: “Distraught and bewildered by the decision of the Belgian government to delay its nuclear exit. This decision endangers the safety of Luxembourgish citizens. We have filed an urgent letter to the Belgian government.”
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo defended the decision by stating that the prolonging of nuclear energy use allows the country to reinforce its independence from fossil fuels in a time of geopolitical turmoil: “We are simultaneously accelerating the transition to renewables, the best way towards our energy independence”, the PM further ensured.
Initially, Belgium promised to put an end to nuclear energy by 2025. However, since the war in Ukraine has started, the resulting challenges in energy acquisition have forced the government coalition to revise its decision. With the change of course, Belgium will maintain nuclear power until 2035.
