Belgium should have carried out these assessments before changing its nuclear phase-out law in 2015 to extend the operating life of both plants by around 10 years to 2025, the ECJ said.
It said the Belgian Constitutional Court could “exceptionally” allow the plants to keep running while the assessments are carried out if this is justified by “a genuine and serious threat” of electricity shortages that cannot be solved through the internal market.
It was up to the Belgian court to verify if such a threat exists, the ECJ said.
The Belgian court requested the ECJ’s advice after two environmental groups, Bond Beter Leefmilieu and Inter-Environnement Wallonie,sued the government over the Doel-1 and -2 lifetime extensions.
A law limiting the operating lives of Belgium’s seven commercial nuclear reactors to 40 years was passed by the country's government in 2003, but in July 2015 an amendment was passed to enable Doel-1 and -2 to operate for a further 10 years provided regulatory approval was granted.
This means that Doel-1 would be shut down on 15 February 2025 and Doel-2 on 1 December 2025.
In October 2015, the Belgian nuclear regulator Fanc approved plans submitted by Doel owner and operator Electrabel which outlined the actions to be taken over the next decade to ensure the continued operation of the two 433 MW pressurised water reactors beyond their original 40-year design life.
Modernisation work under the plan is expected to cost about €700m.
Doel-1, a 445 MW pressurised water reactor unit, began commercial operation in February 1975. Doel-2, a 433 PWR, began commercial operation in December 1975.
