Fifth Belgian reactor is permanently shut down

Belgium's Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) said the operation to shut down the 445 MWe (net) pressurised water reactor (PWR) was carried out under its supervision.

Doel 2 has now entered the decommissioning phase in preparation for its actual dismantling. Fuel will be unloaded from the reactor and cooled in the storage pool, so it can later be transported to temporary storage.

"As with the other shutdowns, the process began with the submission of a 'notice of cessation of activities' to the FANC," the regulator said. "This document describes in great detail the activities that will be carried out after the shutdown to prepare for decommissioning."

Belgium's federal law of 31 January 2003 required the phase-out of all seven nuclear power reactors in the country. Under that policy, Doel 1 and 2 were originally set to be taken out of service on their 40th anniversaries, in 2015. However, the law was amended in 2013 and 2015 to provide for Doel 1  and 2 to remain operational for an additional 10 years. Doel 1 was retired in February this year. Duel 3 was closed in September 2022 and Tihange 2 at the end of January 2023. Tihange 1 was disconnected from the grid on 30 September this year.

Belgium's last two reactors - Doel 4 and Tihange 3 - had also been scheduled to close last month. However, following the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022 the government and Electrabel began negotiating the feasibility and terms for the operation of the reactors for a further ten years, to 2035, with a final agreement reached in December, with a balanced risk allocation.

For the continued operation of Doel 4 and Tihange 3, Electrabel had to submit an extensive LTO (Long Term Operation) file with safety studies and an action plan to further increase the safety of the youngest reactors. This file was submitted in December 2024 for both units. Tihange 3 was taken offline on 5 April for a so-called 'LTO overhaul' - an extensive inspection and maintenance period with a view to safe long-term operation of the reactor. After a thorough analysis, FANC and its technical subsidiary Bel V determined that the reactor meets the conditions for a safe restart and the 1020 MWe PWR resumed operation on 10 July. Doel 4 was taken offline on 30 June for its LTO overhaul and was restarted on 8 October.

In May this year, Belgium's federal parliament voted by a large majority to repeal the 2003 law which set out a phase-out of nuclear power and ban on the construction of new nuclear generating capacity.

FANC has called for "clarity to be provided in the course of this legislative term on a possible extension of the operation of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 after 2035. This will allow the necessary safety analyses and preparatory steps to be started in good time."