According to Open Vld chairman Egbert Lachaert, it cannot be ruled out that the government will oblige nuclear operator Engie to extend the life of the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 reactors. He said that to the Walloon news channel ‘LN24’. “We can do that. We’ve already done it with other reactors. Engie was then taken to the Constitutional Court and was proven wrong,” said Lachaert.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) and Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Green) have been negotiating with Engie since the spring about the extension of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 by ten years. In that case, both reactors would remain open until 2035. A negotiating framework was already agreed last summer, which should lead to an agreement by the end of this year.
However, if that agreement is not reached, the government can ensure that Engie keeps the reactors open via a law, says Lachaert. The government, on the other hand, continues to prefer an agreement, it said. “That’s better because otherwise we end up with procedures that can take years. We need each other,” said the Open Vld chairman.
PS chairman Paul Magnette called on the government at the beginning of this week to stop talks with Engie. Minister Van der Straeten stated in the House on Wednesday that an agreement with the nuclear operator remains the preferred option. “A negotiation should not be a hard boxing match. The stakes are too high for that,” she said.
“No taboos”
According to Lachaert, when preparing the budget last week, the government decided to have transmission system operator Elia and the federal energy regulator CREG study how security of supply in Belgium can be ensured until 2030. Additional nuclear power is also part of that exercise should problems arise. This means that, in addition to Tihange 3 and Doel 4, other nuclear reactors can remain open longer than planned, according to the liberal government parties and CD&V. “If it’s two, it’s two, if it’s four, it’s four. There are no taboos,” said Lachaert.
Green House party leader Wouter De Vriendt stated in parliament last week that the government has not decided to investigate keeping other nuclear power stations open for longer or to negotiate with Engie about this, but to constantly monitor security of supply and to take appropriate action. a problem occurs.
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Van der Straeten continues to hope for agreement with Engie about nuclear reactor extension: “Negotiation should not be a tough boxing match”
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See also: Bart De Wever: “Remove Tinne Van der Straeten from file”
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