Belgium stops decommissioning nuclear power plants

比利时停止核电站退役计划

Belgium will stop decommissioning its nuclear power plants, Prime Minister Bart De Wever announced on Thursday. The government is going to negotiate with operator ENGIE over the nationalization of the plants, De Wever said. 比利时首相巴特·德韦弗（Bart De Wever）周四宣布，比利时将停止其核电站的退役计划。德韦弗表示，政府将与运营商ENGIE就核电站的国有化问题进行谈判。

“This government chooses safe, affordable, and sustainable energy. With less dependence on fossil imports and more control over our own supply,” he wrote on X. 他在社交平台X上写道：“本届政府选择的是安全、负担得起且可持续的能源。我们将减少对化石燃料进口的依赖，并加强对自身能源供应的掌控。”

ENGIE said it signed a letter of intent with the Belgian government on exclusive negotiations. ENGIE表示，已与比利时政府签署了一份关于独家谈判的意向书。

The agreement covers the potential acquisition of “the complete nuclear fleet of seven reactors, the associated personnel, all nuclear subsidiaries, as well as all associated assets and liabilities, including decommissioning and dismantling obligations,” a press release said. 一份新闻稿称，该协议涵盖了对比利时“全部七座核反应堆、相关人员、所有核能子公司，以及包括退役和拆除义务在内的所有相关资产和负债”的潜在收购。

A basic agreement is expected to be reached by October, it said. 新闻稿称，预计将于10月达成基本协议。

Belgium originally decided in 2003 to phase-out nuclear power production by 2025, but political debate and energy security concerns have led to delays. 比利时最初于2003年决定在2025年前逐步淘汰核能发电，但政治辩论和能源安全方面的担忧导致了计划的推迟。

Last year the Belgian parliament voted by a large majority to end the nuclear phase-out. De Wever’s government also aims to build new nuclear power plants. 去年，比利时议会以压倒性多数投票决定终止核能淘汰计划。德韦弗政府还计划建造新的核电站。

Belgium has seven nuclear reactors at two different sites, although three reactors have already been taken off the grid. The fate of the ageing installations has been debated for decades. The country is currently heavily dependent on gas imports to cover its electricity needs as it has been struggling to expand renewable power generation significantly. 比利时在两个不同地点拥有七座核反应堆，尽管其中三座已经停止运行。这些老化设施的命运几十年来一直备受争议。由于在扩大可再生能源发电方面进展缓慢，该国目前严重依赖天然气进口来满足电力需求。