Nuclear Supply Chain Event: a first successful step in strengthening
Belgium's nuclear supply chain

After the 15th of May 2025 – the day on which the nuclear phase-out law was transformed into a law in favor of nuclear, the so-called “Bihet Law” by the Minister of Energy, Mathieu Bihet – another important milestone was reached yesterday. On Wednesday 11 June, the Belgian Nuclear Forum, together with Agoria and the Belgian Nuclear Society (BNS), organized the first Nuclear Supply Chain Event, which can be considered as a starting point for strengthening the Belgian supply chain in the nuclear sector.

Mainly Belgian companies, but also a few from our neighboring countries, came together to prepare for this new start. More than 100 business leaders and C-level managers from over 75 different companies gathered at the John Cockerill site in Seraing (Liège) – itself an iconic industrial player with a rich nuclear history AND future.

Michel Vanhaesbroucke, Chief Strategy & Business Development Officer at John Cockerill: "John Cockerill has a long history and diverse expertise to offer the Belgian nuclear sector. As an industrial partner in the nuclear industry, we are ready to play an active role in the future and to increase investment in the development of new nuclear projects, in line with the Belgian government's ambitions. To achieve this, we want to contribute to the nuclear supply chain in the country where our Group was founded, while also collaborating with Belgian partners on nuclear projects abroad."

The call to Belgian industry is clear: our supply chain in the nuclear sector must be strengthened and expanded. On the one hand, this call is aimed at companies in the nuclear supply chain, to get them (re)interested in future nuclear projects. On the other hand, we welcome companies that are not yet active in the nuclear world, to convince them to take this step, as there are great opportunities. We will have to strengthen and expand the nuclear supply chain in the coming years if we want the amendment to the nuclear phase-out law to be more than a symbolic victory. To make the nuclear revival a reality, the supply chain must follow, with enough companies that have the necessary skills and qualifications.

Belgium has always been a hub of nuclear knowledge and expertise, recognized worldwide. But here too, no new nuclear reactors have been built for decades. Companies in the nuclear sector that have construction projects underway (Tractebel, SCK CEN, Belgoprocess, etc.) are already struggling to find sufficiently qualified suppliers and personnel. This cannot wait for years, the need is already there.

The various solutions available were discussed in detail during the event in the keynotes and panel discussions. We heard about the best practices and lessons learned from major nuclear projects in the Netherlands (Pallas) and the UK (Hinkley Point C). Cross-border cooperation is also a prerequisite for meeting demand. Finally, we must guide companies through certification and qualification so that they can join the nuclear supply chain under the best possible conditions. Our sector's ambition is to build future reactors “on time” and “on budget”.

Serge Dauby, Managing Director of the Belgian Nuclear Forum: “The nuclear sector must (re)mobilize to realize its nuclear ambitions, such as the construction of new nuclear reactors by 2035. The necessary nuclear expertise is still present in our country and is also recognized worldwide, but we have a shortage of manpower. Thousands of additional jobs will be created in the sector in the coming decades. We must encourage our young people to work in the nuclear sector and convince industrial companies to take the step towards the nuclear value chain. The Belgian Nuclear Forum and the employers' organizations will help them in this. The aim is to mainly employ Belgian workers, so that the socio-economic benefits remain in our country.”

The closing remarks at the event were made by Mathieu Bihet, Belgium's federal minister of Energy since February. He emphasized that under this government, Belgium is once again taking a rational approach to nuclear energy. “Reviving nuclear power is not just about securing our energy supply. It is about reactivating a strategic industrial sector, creating skilled jobs, and revitalizing our economic and scientific landscape. In reality, it is about reopening a chapter of Belgian excellence that we should never have closed. Belgium is a land of science, innovation and engineering. And in the field of civil nuclear power, our reputation is world-renowned. Our country has contributed to major advances in safety, waste management, nuclear medicine, and fundamental research. We must not only preserve this heritage, but above all, we must build
on it”, says Mathieu Bihet.