Belgian Government Considers State Takeover Of Engie’s Nuclear Power Plants
Brussels (Belgium) - The Belgian government is considering a state takeover of the nuclear power plants owned by the French energy company Engie and has initially imposed a halt on the decommissioning of these facilities. As part of the review process, an assessment will be conducted to determine whether the nuclear assets could be transferred into state ownership in the future.
Belgian government reviews takeover of all nuclear activities
According to current information, the review focuses on the possible acquisition of all Belgian nuclear activities of the group, including the seven reactors currently operated by its subsidiary Electrabel, several of which have already been shut down or are in the process of being decommissioned.
The process is initially based on a non-binding memorandum of understanding between Belgium and Engie. In the next step, the state will conduct a comprehensive due diligence review of the nuclear activities.
An agreement in principle could be reached by October 2026. Any potential transaction would subsequently be subject to regulatory approval, including authorization by the relevant nuclear regulators.
Nuclear phase-out: Five Belgian reactors already shut down
Most Belgian reactors date back to the 1970s. Of the country’s seven nuclear reactors, five have already been permanently shut down.
The first was Doel 3 (1,056 MW gross), which was taken offline in September 2022 after 40 years of operation. This was based on Belgium’s 2003 nuclear phase-out law. The reactor had also been controversial for years due to cracks in its reactor pressure vessel.
This was followed by Tihange 2 (1,055 MW gross) in February 2023, also after 40 years of operation. Here too, in addition to the phase-out law, material cracks in the reactor pressure vessel were a major point of criticism.
In 2025, three additional reactors were shut down after operating for around 50 years following a ten-year lifetime extension. These include Doel 1 (454 MW), Doel 2 (454 MW), and Tihange 1 (1,009 MW).
Lifetime extension for two Belgian nuclear plants only with state support
The two remaining nuclear reactors, Doel 4 (1,090 MW gross) and Tihange 3 (1,089 MW gross), are set to receive a ten-year lifetime extension until 2035, after which they will have been in operation for around 50 years.
As part of extensive modernization and safety measures, both plants will be taken offline for around seven months each over the next three years (2026 to 2028). Due to modernization alone, the reactors will be offline for a total of nearly two years (around 21 months) during their ten-year extension period.
Continued operation will also be secured through state support mechanisms approved by the European Commission. A joint venture, BE-NUC, has been set up for operations, with the Belgian state holding a 50 percent stake. The modernization costs for the nuclear power plants are estimated at €1.6 to €2 billion.
To ensure stable revenues, a contract for difference (CfD) has been agreed. A reference price is set: if the actual market price for nuclear electricity falls below the minimum price, the Belgian state compensates the difference; if it exceeds the reference price, the surplus is paid to the state.
Responsibility for nuclear waste lies with the Belgian state. Engie will pay a fixed lump sum of €15 billion to cover future financial risks associated with rising disposal costs.
In addition, the Belgian government will provide BE-NUC with loans totaling around €580 million to cover operating expenses and investments through 2028. Further protective mechanisms against future legislative changes are also in place.
Source: IWR Online, 05 May 2026
