Liege (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Belgium’s Tihange 1 reactor in Liege will close on 30 Sept 2025 after 50 years, confirmed by Rikkert Wyckmans. It is the 4th closure, while Doel 4 and Tihange 3 operate until 2035.
As GVA News reported, the Tihange 1 nuclear reactor in Liege, Belgium, will be disconnected on 30 September 2025 after 50 years. Operational director Rikkert Wyckmans confirmed that extending the reactor is not possible. Tihange 1 will be the 4th Belgian reactor to close, following Doel 3, Tihange 2 and Doel 1. Doel 2 is scheduled to stop at the end of November 2025.
The Belgian government was interested in extending the Tihange 1, but associated investments and safety measures were needed for Tihange 1. Operator Engie Electrabel said its focus will be on safely decommissioning the older power units and then working to prepare Doel 4 and Tihange 3 for extended use.
What does the closure of Belgium’s Tihange 1 mean for nuclear phase-out?
Belgium’s national phase-out of nuclear energy includes decommissioning Tihange 1. Under the existing energy agreement, Doel 4 and Tihange 3 will remain open until 2035. The dismantlement of Tihange 1 will commence once the plant is disconnected, as it takes years, if not decades, starting with the handling of removing the nuclear fuel and storing it.
The stringent safety regulations will apply throughout the entire process, according to Belgian officials. The future of Tihange 1 had been under debate as well. Engie reiterated that it would support the decommissioning process safely, but networks must also operate the remaining Belgian reactors subject to the long-term agreement.
“Extending Tihange 1 would require much larger investments than extending Tihange 3 or Doel 4. It’s not economically feasible,”
Wyckmans said.
Belgium has reached an agreement with Engie to keep Doel 4 and Tihange 3 running longer. The cost of this project is estimated between 1.6 and 2 billion euros. Grid operator Elia warns that the arrival of 2 new gas power plants in Liège has left no room on the high-voltage network for Tihange 1 to continue. Elia says an extension of the unit would overload the system.
“This also means that an extension of Tihange 1 is currently not possible,”
Says Wyckmans.
“We’ve operated that reactor safely for fifty years, in the interest of security of supply,”
Says the director.
The Tihange nuclear power plant in Huy, Liège Province, has been a major part of Belgium’s energy supply since 1975, when Tihange 1 first went into service. Over the years, the site, together with the Doel reactors in East Flanders, produced a large share of the country’s electricity.
Political debate and safety concerns often shaped decisions about the future of the nuclear sector. In 2019, the Belgian government confirmed its plan for a nuclear phase-out, but later made a deal with Engie in July 2022 to extend the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 until 2035, while other reactors would be closed. Doel 3 was disconnected in September 2022, followed by Tihange 2 in February 2023 and Doel 1 in February 2025.
