Belgium’s Doel 2 approved for restart

29 January 2019


Doel NPPBelgium’s Engie Electrabel, a subsidiary of French energy group Engie, said on 25 January that it would restart the 433MWe reactor at unit 2 of the Doel nuclear plant on 4 February after receiving authorisation from the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (Fanc).

Cooling pipe concerns had closed Doel 2 in April 2018. Fanc had requested preventive works, inspections and analysis on Doel 2’s cooling pipe systems after leaks were discovered at the similar capacity Doel 1 reactor.

Engie Electrabel said all the processes have now been completed. Fanc approved the restart on Doel 2 after a pipe had been replaced at the end of November and “all questions and comments concerning Doel-2 have been clarified”. Repairs are still underway at Doel 1, and no date has been given for its return to operation.

The reconnection of Doel 2 to the power grid and four other available reactors will provide Belgium with 4400MWe of nuclear power capacity this winter, Engie Electrabel said.

Belgian has seven nuclear reactors which produce around half its electricity – three at Tihange NPP near Liege and four at Doel near Antwerp. However, six units have been offline in recent months for maintenance and repair. With the restart of Doel 2, two plants will remain offline. Tihange 2 is closed because of concrete degradation issues, and Doel 1 is still under repair.      


Photo: Doel nuclear plant



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