[Foratom, 25 June] A report commissioned by the Belgian government to help guide energy policy to 2030 has backed retaining nuclear power as an economic and low-carbon source of baseload electricity. Belgium's Energy Challenges towards 2030 by the Commission on Energy said that to meet current and future energy needs, avoid a doubling of electricity prices and reduce its carbon dioxide emissions, Belgium must scrap its policy to phase out nuclear power. On 10 June a general election put Yves Leterme as the most likely candidate for prime minister of a new coalition government. Leterme has previously said: "Security of supply must be ensured and, therefore, an extension of the life of our nuclear power plants should be envisaged." Santiago San Antonio, director general of Foratom, the European nuclear indutry trade association, called the former phase-out policy "an expensive failure."
Further information
The 'CE 2030' report
Foratom
WNA's Nuclear Power in Belgium information paper
WNN: Belgium: New government, new nuclear policy?
Belgian report: scrap the phase-out
[Foratom, 25 June]A report commissioned by the Belgian government to help guide energypolicy to 2030 has backed retaining nuclear power as an economic andlow-carbon source of baseload electricity. Belgium's Energy Challenges towards 2030by the Commission on Energy said that to meet current and future energyneeds, avoid a doubling of electricity prices and reduce its carbondioxide emissions, Belgium must scrap its policy to phase out nuclearpower. On 10 June a general election put Yves Leterme as the mostlikely candidate for prime minister of a new coalition government.Leterme has previously said: "Security of supply must be ensured and,therefore, an extension of the life of our nuclear power plants shouldbe envisaged." Santiago San Antonio, director general of Foratom, theEuropean nuclear indutry trade association, called the former phase-outpolicy "an expensive failure."
_51287.jpg)
