Key questions about the nuclear power plants
Under the 2003 nuclear phase out act, all nuclear plants are set to close by the end of 2025. On 9 January, however, ENGIE and the Belgian federal government signed an agreement (Heads of Terms and Commencement of LTO Studies Agreement), with a view to the 10-year extension of two nuclear reactors, Doel 4 and Tihange 3, with a total production capacity of 2 GW. Under this agreement, both sides confirm their intention of making every effort to restart the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 nuclear units by November 2026.
As for the other nuclear power plants: Doel 3 was shut down permanently on 23 September 2022, and Tihange 2 stopped production on 31 January 2023. Thanks to an earlier operating extension and associated investments and checks, the first three nuclear reactors, Doel 1 and 2 and Tihange 1, remained operational for an extra 10 years. In 2025, these too will go offline forever. Consequently, preparations for the shutdown and dismantling of the nuclear power plants are in full swing.