Belgium has reached an agreement with the French utility group Engie regarding the ten-year extension of the life of two nuclear reactors, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced on Monday at a press conference, Reuters reports.

“Extending the life of the two nuclear reactors is crucial for guaranteeing our energy security,” said Alexander De Croo.

He added that the details of the agreement with Engie have not been finalized.Brussels in March had announced it was delaying its long-planned exit from nuclear energy in 2025 for 10 years as Russia’s war on Ukraine sent power prices soaring.

The accord with Engie comes after months of fierce negotiation with the Belgian authorities over key questions such as how to set up the joint venture running the reactors and capping costs for the disposing of nuclear waste.

Engie said the “agreement in principle constitutes an important step, and paves the way for the conclusion of full agreements in the upcoming months”.

“It also provides for the immediate start of environmental and technical studies prior to obtaining the authorisations related to this extension,” a release quoted by Techxplore said.