Belgium to shut down second nuclear reactor

The Tihange 2 nuclear reactor – the second largest of the three Tihange reactors – will shut down permanently on Tuesday evening after 40 years of activity, making it the second nuclear reactor to shut down in the country.

In accordance with 2003 Belgian law on nuclear phase-out, Tihange 2 will be disconnected from the grid on Tuesday at midnight, despite calls from politicians across the political spectrum and citizen associations to stop the nuclear reactor shutdowns.

“After Doel 3 was shut down in September, Tihange 2 will also close tomorrow. Together they provided almost as much electricity as the sun and wind combined. Tragic. Keeping as many nuclear plants open as long as possible should be an absolute priority,” conservative politician Bart De Wever (New Flemish Alliance, N-VA) tweeted on Monday.

“For DéFI, this closure plunges Belgium a little more into uncertainty,” said François De Smet of the social-liberal party DéFI. His party is also calling for investment in fourth-generation nuclear power, along with energy moderation and renewable energy.

“In the immediate future, the two most recent reactors [Doel 4 and Tihange 3] should be extended for 20 years, not 10 […] but above all, it is necessary to invest quickly in the new generation of nuclear power. This is easier, safer and produces less waste. It could also make it possible to use less uranium. […] Existing projects, like the ITER program or SMRs (small modular reactors), are part of that future,” a press release from the party reads.

Five nuclear reactors will remain operational in Belgium after the Tihange 2 shutdown.

Doel 1 and 2 are set to shut down in 2025. Doel 3 closed in September last year, causing citizens and non-profits to sue the State, nuclear operator Engie, and transmission system operator Elia in the name of security of energy supply in the face of soaring energy prices and ahead of a difficult winter due to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Doel 4 and Tihange 3 – Belgium’s most recent nuclear reactors – will be extended for 10 years from 2026 to help mitigate the energy crisis. Several organisations and politicians welcomed this initiative, but some call for a longer extension, or complete scrapping of the 2003 law.

Trade association Nucleareurope, for example, welcomed the extension, but told “prolonging just two reactors for just 10 years (and not 20) will not be enough to ensure a stable supply of low-carbon electricity at an affordable cost”.

Unless their extension is decided, Doel 1 will be the next reactor to be shut down (15 February 2025), followed by Tihange 1 (1 October 2025) and Doel 2 (1 December 2025).

(Anne-Sophie Gayet | EURACTIV.com)

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