European Commission approves lifespan extension Doel 4 and Tihange 3

On Friday, February 21st, 2025, the European Commission approved extending the lifespans of the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 nuclear reactors. The core of the deal is that Engie agrees to keep the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 reactors open for ten years longer in exchange for a maximum invoice for the disposal of nuclear waste.

Engie has been entirely responsible for this until now. The company is paying 15 billion euros to get rid of that responsibility. The money is being invested and should grow to 60 billion euros in the coming decades, enough to finance waste disposal.

Electricity supply

Electricity provider Engie and the previous Belgian government had reached an agreement at the end of 2023 to extend the life of the two reactors by ten years until 2037 at the latest.

The deal with the French energy giant was intended to guarantee Belgium’s electricity supply for the next ten years. The European Commission also says that Belgian state aid is necessary to ensure energy supplies.

FANC

Now, Belgium does have to make some adjustments. The contract stipulating that nuclear power stations are entitled to subsidies when electricity prices are low and must give part of the profits to the state when electricity prices are high must also be adjusted.

The government will now finalize the documents to operationalize the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 reactors before the winter of 2025-2026. The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) must still approve the file with the modernization works on the two reactors.

Maintenance

The two reactors will be closed this summer for necessary maintenance and until 2028 to carry out the modernization works. However, they will run in the winter to help ensure electricity supplies.