Belgium Abandons 2025 Nuclear Plant Closure Plan? ... Considering 10-Year Extension of Nuclear Plant Lifespan

[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Major foreign media reported on the 17th (local time) that the Belgian government has abandoned its decision to close nuclear power plants by 2025 and may extend the lifespan of nuclear reactors.

According to Belgium's public broadcaster RTBF, on the 16th, Tinne Van der Straeten, Belgium's Minister of Energy, delivered a document to key ministers, which stated that the lifespan of nuclear reactors could be extended by up to 10 years if the bill is approved by the end of March.

In response, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy said that the document delivered to the key ministers contained various options regarding energy policy and did not include any urgent decisions.

The reason the extension of nuclear reactor lifespans is being discussed is due to increased uncertainty in natural gas supply caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Belgium originally planned to increase its dependence on natural gas while closing nuclear power plants. Accordingly, there was also a plan to build a gas power plant in northern Brussels. However, the construction of the gas power plant has become uncertain due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

At the end of last year, the Belgian government decided to determine whether to approve the construction of the gas power plant by mid-March this year. With the uncertainty of securing gas supply, the deadline is approaching. If the gas power plant is not built, other alternatives will need to be considered.

The two nuclear reactors under consideration for lifespan extension are each rated at 1038MW and 1039MW. These two reactors account for 35% of Belgium's nuclear power generation.

The Ministry of Energy is also expected to soon release a plan to reduce fossil fuel use. It is anticipated to include expansion of offshore wind power and solar power, as well as reduction of oil and gas power generation by 2026.

The UK government is also scheduled to announce a new energy supply plan next week and is reportedly reviewing an extension of nuclear reactor lifespans. The UK currently operates six nuclear reactors, five of which are planned to be closed before 2030. Only the Sizewell B nuclear power plant in East Suffolk is planned to operate until 2035, and the UK government is currently considering extending the lifespan of Sizewell B by 20 years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.