Engie, the French energy company operating Belgian nuclear plants, may need to allocate nearly €3 billion in additional provisions for the dismantling of nuclear power plants, according to estimates from the National Organisation for Radioactive Waste Disposal (Ondraf), as reported by L’Echo and De Tijd on Saturday.
Every three years, the Nuclear Provisions Commission (CPN), an independent regulator, assesses whether the provisions managed by Synatom, a subsidiary of Engie's Electrabel, are sufficient to cover the costs of dismantling, which will take decades to complete.
In its latest assessment just before Christmas, Ondraf concluded that Engie should increase its provisions by nearly €3 billion.
The president of the CPN, Kevin Welsh, stated that parts of Engie’s dismantling plans contained inconsistencies, requiring cautious assumptions to safeguard the public interest.
Behind the scenes, Engie has told the government that such an increase is “unacceptable”.
