Gov’t considering lifetime extensions and new build
Unit 1 of the Doel nuclear power station to the north of Antwerp in Belgium has been permanently shut down, bringing the number of commercial reactors in operation in the country to four.
Doel-1 operator Electrabel, the Belgian subsidiary of France’s Engie, said the 445-MW Westinghouse-supplied pressurised water reactor unit was taken offline for the final time at 21:37 local time on 14 February after 50 years of operation.
Belgium used to have a fleet of seven commercial reactors, but two of them – Doel-3 and Tihange-2 – had already been shut down in 2022 and 2023, with Doel-1 now following.
The closures are in line with Belgium’s 2003 nuclear phaseout policy. Under current regulations, Tihange-1 and Doel-2 will also shut down this year, while Doel-4 and Tihange-3 could receive operational extensions until around 2035.
However, the new Belgian government has said it is interested in additional life extensions for nuclear power plants and is also considering building new nuclear capacity.
Mathieu Bihet, the country’s new energy minister, said in an interview with La Libre that the government wants to validate a deal with owner Engie to extend operation of Doel-4 and Tihange-3 to 2035 “but also wants to extend other capacities”.
Additional agreements could lead to extensions for one or more of the two other remaining plants – Tihange-1 and Doel-2.
Earlier this month, the new government announced plans to secure the country’s reliance on nuclear energy, aiming for a 4 GW share in the country's electricity mix as part of efforts to secure a carbon-free baseload capacity. The four reactors now remaining in operation have a net capacity of around 3.4 GW
According to a coalition agreement, the aim to “restart” Belgium’s nuclear industry and see the operating life extension of existing nuclear plants and the construction of new reactors.
Group Calls For Phaseout Law To Be Abolished
Stand Up for Nuclear, a global initiative in support of nuclear energy, said the closure of Doel-1 means the loss of 445 MW of clean energy.
The group called upon stakeholders to halt decommissioning, restart reactors and abolish the nuclear phaseout law. “Two more reactors are slated to close this year,” Stand Up for Nuclear said on social media. “We don’t have time to waste.”
Electrabel said that in the coming days, operators will cool down the reactor and lower the pressure in the primary cooling circuits to the level of the ambient air pressure.
It said: “As soon as the plant has cooled down sufficiently, the unloading of the nuclear reactor can begin.
“In this process, the fuel rods are lifted out of the reactor one by one and transferred to separate docks, where they will continue to cool under water for several years.”
