(Bloomberg) -- Belgium asked Engie SA to extend the life of its Tihange 2 nuclear plant to ensure energy supplies and help offset rising prices this winter.
“The government has asked the nuclear operator to prolong the functioning of Tihange 2 until the winter peak has passed,” Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told reporters in Brussels on Friday.
The French company though said there was a limit to how long the facility, in central eastern Belgium, could remain online.
Belgium and other European Union countries are taking emergency measures to ensure energy supplies this winter as the bloc prepares for a potential cut in Russian gas flows. Hungary said this week it will ban energy exports in most cases from Aug. 1. Germany could resort to rationing and company bailouts, while French President Emmanuel Macron urged his country to reduce energy consumption.
Belgium’s request is part of a winter plan under which Norwegian sources and the Loenhout storage facility in Belgium itself will also be tapped to help to supply the country’s gas needs. Longer-term measures include increasing the transmission capacity in Zeebrugge, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and strengthening electricity supplies.
The extension of Tihange 2’s operation beyond the current legal shutdown date -- Feb. 1 -- isn’t feasible due to technical reasons and nuclear safety constraints, an Engie spokesperson said by phone, adding that the company is available to provide an explanation to the government.
Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten said the Tihange 2 extension would be for the winter only, and the goal is not to extend its life beyond that. The government in March decided to prolong the operation of the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 reactors for a further 10 years, up until 2035, to help secure energy supplies. Talks on those proposed extensions are ongoing, Engie said.
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