Belgium’s Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (Fanc) has approved the restart of unit 1 at the Tihange NPP, which has been offline since 7 September 2016 following damage to a non-nuclear building during upgrade work. Fanc said on 15 May 2017 that operator Engie Electrabel had completed all the work necessary for safe operation of the plant.
The upgrade work that led to the damage was being done as part of a programme to extend the life of the unit to 1 October 2025. During the work, the building equipped with auxiliary components was damaged, causing the reactor to trip. The pumps in the auxiliary building must be continuously available, Fanc said. Tihange 1, a 962MWe pressurised water reactor unit, began commercial operation on 1 October 1975.
