Engie wants to invest 4 billion in Belgium, but there is little interest in extending nuclear power plants for another twenty years

Engie plans to invest up to 4 billion euros in Belgium by 2030. But there is currently not much enthusiasm about a possible extension of the lifespan of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 nuclear power stations by twenty years instead of ten years. “We already have enough work,” says the new CEO of Engie Belgium Vincent Verbeke.

Source: BELGA

Today at 12:10

Engie and the federal government reached an agreement in 2023 on extending the lifespan of both reactors by ten years. That job will be “very complex,” Verbeke explains. “It has never been done before in Belgium.”

In the run-up to the elections, balloons are popping up here and there to extend both reactors by twenty years instead of ten. According to Verbeke, such a question is not on the table. “That would be a completely different project.”

The nuclear operator therefore wants to focus fully on the ten-year extension. “That is the priority for us. There is enough work.”

The new CEO points out that within the group, priority is given to renewable energy, flexibility and green hydrogen. On the other hand, a clear “no” did not come from his lips when asked whether Engie would consider an extension of twenty years. “There is nothing on the table. There are no conversations going on.”