Belgium parliament votes to ditch nuclear power phase-out

Belgium on Thursday officially abandoned plans to phase out nuclear power, with parliament voting to scrap a two-decades-old pledge and to allow for the construction of new reactors.

Lawmakers in Brussels backed the new conservative-led government's plan to revive the country's nuclear industry with 102 votes in favour, eight against and 31 abstentions.

"The Federal Parliament has just turned the page on two decades of blockages and hesitation to pave the way for a realistic and resilient energy model," said Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet.

The vote junked a 2003 law under which Belgium had set a calendar for taking its nuclear reactors out of service by the end of 2025 and banned generating new capacity.

The deadline had already been pushed back by 10 years in 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked an energy crisis, sending gas prices soaring.

The latest move comes as global interest in the nuclear sector is at its highest since the oil crises of the 1970s, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The Netherlands and Sweden are planning to build new nuclear plants and earlier this year Italy's cabinet opened the door to a return to atomic power, 25 years after the closure of its last reactors.

"This is not just an energy reform; it is a decisive step for the economic, environmental, and strategic future of our country," said Bihet.

Agreed after seven months of difficult negotiations, Belgium's new coalition government took office in February, marking a shift to the right for the country.

The U-turn on nuclear energy was part of the new coalition deal.

Belgium currently has two nuclear power stations -- both run by French energy firm Engie -- each hosting two operative reactors.

Nuclear accounts for 40 percent of the country's total power generation, followed by gas at 21 percent and wind at 19 percent, according to IEA.

Bihet told local radio Bel RTL the government wanted to "increase the share of nuclear power" but needed to hold talks with Engie "to understand their intentions."

Engie said it was working to extend the life of two reactors as agreed in 2022, but added nuclear was "no longer part" of the group's strategy in the country.