“Tinne Van der Straeten's remarks are staggeringly disingenuous,” says federal MP Mathieu Bihet.
“This morning on BX1, the federal Energy Minister in a caretaker capacity, Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen), made numerous dogmatic statements and levelled accusations at the future Arizona majority regarding the future of nuclear power in Belgium and the development of renewable energy. It is quite implausible to receive lessons in energy management from a Minister who has plunged the sector into a deep crisis, marked by an explosion in energy prices and a historic rise in fossil gas consumption in our country,” says federal MP Mathieu Bihet.
A damning energy record: more gas, no new renewable capacity
Since 2020, under Ms Van der Straeten's responsibility, Belgium's consumption of fossil gas has risen significantly following the shutdown of several nuclear reactors. In 2023, natural gas accounted for 24.8% of Belgium's primary energy consumption, or 157.4 TWh GCV. This makes it the second most used energy source in Belgium. A figure that has risen compared with 2020, linked to the opening or maintenance of gas plants to offset the gradual closure of our nuclear reactors.
“Ms Van der Straeten leaves us with an energy production system that is increasingly dependent on gas, disregarding climate targets and supply security. The war in Ukraine does not excuse everything! The Minister's stubborn choice to sabotage the future of nuclear power, an energy source that is nonetheless low-carbon, reliable and affordable, has led to a surge in energy prices that weighs heavily on Belgian households and businesses,” the federal MP continues.
In 2020, Engie was ready to extend D4 and T3 without support, keeping the nuclear provisions on its own books. Likewise, although plan B was fully provided for in the government agreement, the Minister refused to prepare it, or even consider it, until the inevitable happened in February 2022. But by then it was already too late, so late that we had to negotiate from a very weak position with the nuclear operator, at astronomical cost.
“At the same time, the development of renewable energy has stalled. While the Michel Government and Minister Marghem decided on 4 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and installed 2.2 GW, the Minister proposed raising capacity to 5.8 GW, yet no new wind farm has been inaugurated,” the MP recalls. Worse still, whereas under the previous Minister there was talk of very limited public support for offshore developers, the Minister has provided for greater support that has delayed the construction of wind turbines in the second zone by several years.
At the same time, whereas previous Governments had planned a connection within a controlled budget (MOG I), the Minister has involved our country in an island project whose costs are absolutely not under control (with a budget currently estimated at €7 billion), nor is the timing of its commissioning.
A realistic and responsible alternative: extend nuclear power as long as it meets safety standards and develop offshore wind with as few subsidies as possible
Contrary to what Ms Van der Straeten claims, extending all reactors that meet safety standards is not only possible but necessary. This is, moreover, a view shared by the new director of the FANC. Nuclear power is a reliable, affordable and above all low-carbon alternative compared with fossil gas or certain short-term renewable solutions. “Furthermore, it is absurd to claim that extending these reactors would 'expose Belgians to a risk' when they are subject to some of the strictest safety standards in the world. It is irresponsible and dishonest to frighten the population in this way, purely to serve an ideological agenda or to cover up one's own failings.”
The MR calls for an urgent change of course. It is time to put pragmatism back at the heart of our energy policy: by investing massively in renewable energy, but also by preserving a central place for nuclear power in our energy mix. Ms Van der Straeten leaves us with an energy record that runs counter to the interests of citizens and businesses, and it is our responsibility to act for the future.