Belgium - World Nuclear Outlook Report
Figure 3.BE1 Projection of future nuclear capacity in Belgium
Table 3.BE1 Projection of future nuclear capacity in Belgium in 2050
|
60-year operation (MWe) |
80-year operation (MWe) |
Under construction (MWe) |
Planned (MWe) |
Proposed (MWe) |
Potential (MWe) |
Government target (MWe) |
Total for 2050 (MWe) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
0 |
2179 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4000 |
6179 |
Belgium has three operable nuclear reactors, two at Doel and one at Tihange. Until 2022, it was assumed that all reactors in Belgium would be shut down by 2025. Under a plan announced by Belgium's coalition government in December 2021, Doel 3 was shut down in September 2022, while Tihange 2 shut down at the end of January in 2023.
The newer Doel 4 and Tihange 3 had been planned to be shut down by 2025. However, in March 2022 Belgium delayed its plans to phase out nuclear energy by a decade, with Doel 4 and Tihange 3 operating to 2035, with the prime minster stating that it was to “strengthen our county’s independence from fossil fuels in a turbulent geopolitical environment.”40
In February 2025 the new coalition government announced plans to continue operating Doel 3 and Tihange 4 for an additional 10 years to 2045 – and said it aims to construct new reactors. Energy minister Mathieu Bihet said that in addition to maintaining the current 4 GWe of nuclear generating capacity, the government aimed to construct a further 4 GWe of new nuclear capacity.41 However, Tihange 1 shut down in October 2025, and Doel 2 is expected to shut down before the end of 2025.42
Long-term operation
In December 2023 the government finalized a deal with Engie to implement a ten-year extension of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 beyond their 40-year design operating lifetimes.
The additional 10-year extension proposed by the 2025 coalition government would see those plants operate for 60 years.
The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) has called for clarity on a possible extension of the operation of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 after 2035.
New capacity
In his February 2025 statement, the country’s energy minister said that SMRs would not provide sufficient capacity alone to meet the 4000 MWe goal, but which reactor technologies would be used was still to be evaluated.
