Belgian ministry of energy questions nuclear phase-out

Brief

September 07, 2004

During an interview, Belgian energy minister Marc Verwilghen questioned the previous government’s decision – already contested by industry – to phase out the country’s seven operating nuclear power plants from 2015 to 2025, denouncing it as “an ideological choice”.
At the same time, he announced that a study of Belgium’s energy requirements in the 2015 time frame has been commissioned. If the study proves that nuclear energy is the best way to supply electricity, “we must not be afraid to put the issue on the table,” he stated.