Belgium's last two nuclear reactors return after a seven-month life-extension overhaul

Engie has brought Belgium's two remaining nuclear reactors, Tihange 3 and Doel 4, back from a seven-month overhaul that is part of extending their lives by ten years to 2035. Both had been due to close in 2025. Tihange 3 restarted on 14 October after a record revision of 7,000 jobs, including 45 life-extension projects and the first full pressure test of its inner containment since the plant opened in 1985. Engie had scheduled Doel 4 for 1 November, and a chart of ENTSO-E data shared by energy economist Martien Visser shows Belgian nuclear output back at around 2,000 MW in late October, after near-zero output since early April.

Together the units supply about 2 GW of low-carbon power, and the restart was timed for winter, when renewable supply is lower. Since November 2025 the reactors have been owned by BE-NUC, a 50/50 joint venture of the Belgian state and Engie, with Engie as operator. Similar seven-month overhauls are planned in 2027 and 2028.

Sources: Martien Visser on X, La DH, VRT NWS