Belgium pushes off nuclear energy exit by 10 years due to Ukraine war

BRUSSELS

Belgium has delayed its plan to phase out nuclear energy by 2025, a decision driven by concerns over soaring energy prices after Russia declared war on Ukraine.

“The federal government has decided to take the necessary steps to extend the life of two nuclear reactors by 10 years,” Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in a statement on Friday.

“This extension will strengthen our country’s independence from fossil fuels in a turbulent geopolitical environment.”

The Belgian government unveiled a plan last year to decommission its nuclear power plants by 2025, but the uncertainty in global energy supplies sparked by the Russia-Ukraine war has forced it to defer the move.

De Croo said the operating lives of two of Belgium’s seven nuclear reactors, one near Antwerp and the other close to Liege, will be extended by a decade.

The government will also set up two natural gas power plants, he added.

Belgium will also accelerate renewable energy investments, including an additional €1 billion ($1.10 million) for wind and solar energy projects, according to De Croo.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar