Bert Wollants: “We’re shifting from a law against nuclear energy to one that supports it”

Today, the Belgian Parliament will vote on a complete overhaul of the nuclear phase-out law. The legislation is getting more than just a new name—the law on nuclear energy for industrial electricity production—it’s also taking on a completely new direction. “We’re shifting from a law that was against nuclear energy to one that actively supports it,” explains MP Bert Wollants on the radio programme De Ochtend.

Investing in new nuclear power plants

The original 2003 law, which called for the shutdown of all nuclear reactors, had already been softened over the years, allowing exceptions like keeping Tihange 3 and Doel 4 open longer. But now, the change is far more fundamental. “The narrative has completely flipped,” says Wollants. “This new law enables the government to invest in new plants. We’re putting a long-term plan on the table and making nuclear investments viable again.”

Extending the life of existing reactors

The new law also eliminates the legal shutdown dates for Belgium’s current reactors. That said, the closures of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 remain in place for now—those dates were contractually agreed with Engie for 2035. “But we want to revisit that too,” Wollants adds. “Keeping them open another ten years only to shut them down again? That doesn’t make sense. If Engie’s not on board, we may need to consider other operators. As far as we’re concerned, all options are open.”

Wollants doesn’t rule out a potential partnership with France’s state-owned energy company EDF. “We no longer want to be completely tied to Engie, a company that can essentially give a thumbs up or down on our entire energy future.”

“Waiting is not an option”

According to Bert Wollants, the case for nuclear energy is more urgent than ever. “Our industry is going to need more electricity. People are switching to heat pumps for heating. Electric vehicles are on the rise. If we don’t invest in maintaining production capacity, it’s almost negligent.”

At the same time, the government remains realistic. “Building a new nuclear plant typically takes ten to fifteen years. That’s not unusual,” Wollants acknowledges. “Take offshore wind expansion, for example—it was approved in 2018 and will be finished by 2033. The timelines are similar. But if you never start, you can be certain it’ll never happen.”