Entete: Should we buy back our nuclear power plants and speed up the development of SMRs? Not So Fast!
At a time when negotiations are underway behind close doors regarding the Belgian government’s potential buyback of nuclear power plants from Engie, and when small modular reactors are being praised as the future of Belgian nuclear power, three publications from the Spiral Research Centre nuance these important announcements and energy promises. Three articles to contribute to the debate.
1. Considering the Aging of Nuclear Power Plants: Disturbances in the Nuclear Order (Denoun, Delvenne & Parotte 2026)
Martin Denoun, Pierre Delvenne and Céline Parotte revisit a phenomenon associated with the ageing of French nuclear power plants: stress corrosion cracking.
The article, written in French, reads like an investigation – one that has preoccupied nuclear regulators. It reminds us that the (1) ageing of infrastructure carries a significant cost that should not be underestimated when making future energy choices in Belgium and elsewhere. (2) It also raises questions about the production and maintenance of nuclear expertise in the long term.
Available online for free on Tracés. Revue des sciences humaines : https://journals.openedition.org/traces/18002
Full reference: Martin Denoun, Pierre Delvenne et Céline Parotte, « Troubles à l’ordre nucléaire. Fissures et corrosion sous contrainte dans les réacteurs nucléaires français », Tracés. Revue de Sciences humaines, 48 | 2026, 153-173.
2. Temper the Hype Surrounding Small Modular Reactors (Sabbe & Parotte, 2026).
Mathias Sabbe and Céline Parotte have examined the numerous promises and expectations surrounding small modular reactors, which are presented as the future of nuclear energy in Belgium and beyond.
By interviewing engineers and scientists from a European R&D project that explores this type of technology, and by comparing their findings with the promises made by start-ups and other organisations that promote it, the claims regarding economics, flexibility, the
environment and safety are tempered. Small modular reactors are essentially just another way of maintaining interest in large reactors.
The full text is available for free online on Orbi: https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/345839
Full Reference: Sabbe, M., & Parotte, C. (2026). Small Modular Reactors: scaling down to better scale-up? Science as Culture, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/09505431.2026.2666078
3. Let’s have a look at the Past and Future Belgian Energy Sector (Frenay, Sabbe & Parotte, 2026)
In this chapter, Mathias Sabbe, Sacha Frenay and Céline Parotte explore past and current trends in Belgian energy policy. The state of scientific knowledge on this issue highlights the complexity and ambivalence of positions within a fragmented energy landscape. What remains central to the country’s energy policies? Security of supply, energy diversification and energy efficiency, particularly in the context of energy sector liberalisation and the uncertain future of nuclear energy. How should we approach the energy transition to ensure access to energy for as many people as possible?
The authors suggest to: (1) focus not only on innovations, but also on what Belgium is willing to doing without or with less (exnovation); (2) consider the limits of transformation and infrastructure maintenance more seriously; and (3) encourage more inclusive and coordinated energy governance.
The full text is available for free online on Orbi: https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/326897
Full reference: Sabbe, M., Frenay, S., & Parotte, C. (2026). Chapter 38: Energy Policy in Belgium. In M. Reuchamps, M. Brans, P. Meier, … E. van Haute (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Belgian Politics. Oxford University Press, pp. 600–615.
