Belgium's government said Thursday that it would phase out all nuclear power reactors during the following three years.
However, as part of a deal, the country will continue to invest in future technologies that may open smaller plants.
How did the choice come to be made?
The seven-party alliance has been wrangling over the subject for weeks. The Greens pressed the government to adhere to a 2003 law mandating Belgium's nuclear phase-out.
Meanwhile, public stations RTBF and VRT reported that the country's francophone liberals desired the continued operation of the country's two newest nuclear reactors.
After lengthy negotiations that lasted into Thursday early, a core group of ministers agreed. According to local media, the remaining operating nuclear power facilities are scheduled to close in 2025, in compliance with a 2003 law.
According to RTBF, ministers agreed to invest in "renewable and carbon-neutral energies" – including next-generation nuclear energy. This would include allocating funds toward developing new, smaller modular reactors that produce less energy and are easier to contain in the event of an emergency.
Security of energy supply and innovation
Prime Minister de Croo stated during a press conference on Thursday morning that the agreement's priority would be to assure energy supply security.
"Our people and our companies are entitled to that," he stated, adding that the second purpose was to "to fully opt for innovation."
"In concrete terms, this means that we will invest in research into newer technologies," de Croo explained, referring to smaller reactors among them.
Tinne Van der Straeten, the Greens' Energy Minister, stated that research would focus on sustainable, adaptable, and carbon-neutral energy sources.
"Our country already possesses considerable competence in this field. We must now apply this skill in order to avoid missing the boat. Being on time is always advantageous."
Divergent national perspectives
Belgium has two nuclear power stations, totaling seven reactors, operated by the French utility Engie.
Belgium violated European Union legislation in 2019 by neglecting to conduct mandatory environmental evaluations before extending the life of Doel 1 and 2 nuclear reactors near the northern port city of Antwerp.
In the prior years, inspectors discovered microscopic cracks caused by hydrogen flakes in reactors at the Doel power station near Antwerp and the Tihange facility near Liege.
Neighboring Germany is on track to shut down all of its nuclear power reactors by the end of 2022, as part of a 2011 agreement. This decision was made in the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima nuclear accident.
Meanwhile, France obtains over 70% of its energy from nuclear power and intends to expand its nuclear capacity.
The Netherlands, Belgium's northern neighbor, has only one nuclear reactor near Borselle in the country's southwest.
Belgium's decision comes as the European Commission works on a so-called EU taxonomy, in which the bloc will catalog what it believes to be "environmentally sustainable economic activities."
EU member states have been divided on the subject, with France leading a group pushing for nuclear energy to be labeled "green" while Germany leads a group opposing the idea.
