Plant Operation

With Six Units Offline, Regulator Approves Restart Of Belgium’s Tihange-1

By David Dalton
5 November 2018

With Six Units Offline, Regulator Approves Restart Of Belgium’s Tihange-1
The Tihange nuclear power station in Belgium. Photo courtesy Engie.

5 Nov (NucNet): Belgium’s nuclear regulator has approved the restart of the Tihange-1 nuclear power unit following maintenance and upgrades that have been carried out as part of a plan for long-term operation.

The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (Fanc) said the 962-MW pressurised water reactor, which began commercial operation in October 1975, can restart when work is finished.

The unit, which has also been refuelled, has been offline since 13 October 2018. It is currently scheduled for restart on 18 November 2018.

Operator Electrabel, a subsidiary of French energy company Engie, is planning to operate Tihange-1 until 2025 in line with phaseout laws that allow Tihange-1 and Doel-1 and Doel-2, to operate for 50 years.

Seven Belgian nuclear reactors produce around half of the country’s electricity – three at Tihange in Liege and four at Doel near Antwerp – but six of the seven are offline for maintenance. This has led to concerns in Belgium about the possibility of blackouts this winter should temperatures drop and demand outstrip the now limited electricity supply.

Doel-3, the one reactor which remains functional, was temporarily shut down last year due to concerns about concrete degradation in bunkers close to the reactor buildings. Tihange-2 and -3 and Doel-4 have since been taken offline for the same reason.

Doel-1 and Doel-2 were shut down in September following the discovery of a small leak in the emergency cooling water circuit of Doel-1. Fanc said inspections and pipe replacement work would be carried out at both units.

The status of Belgium’s seven reactors is: Tihange-1 offline for maintenance and refuelling; Tihange-2, Tihange-3 and Doel-4 offline due to concrete degradation issues; Doel-1 and Doel-2 offline due to discovery of leak at Doel-1; Doel-3 online.

Press reports in Belgium last week quoted Engie deputy director-general Pierre Mongin as saying Doel-1 and -2 will restart in December.

He said Doel-4 is scheduled to resume production by 15 December. Tihange-2 and Tihange-3 will not come back online until May and March 2019 respectively, he said.

To fix the concrete degradation problem at Tihange-2, Tihange-3 and Doel-4, the company has decided to build concrete roofs above the bunkers costing around €40m each, he said.

Belgium is due to begin phasing out its nuclear power reliance in 2022, with all Belgian nuclear reactors to be fully closed down by 2025.

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