French energy company Engie and the Belgian government are set to sign contractual documents Friday, setting out the terms and conditions for restarting reactors Doel 4 and Tihange 3 in the winter of 2025.
In June, Belgium and Engie signed an agreement on the extension of two nuclear reactors – Tihange 3 and Doel 4 – after they decided on the extension in January due to the uncertain future of the country’s energy supplies.
Now, the agreement is set to be signed on Friday.
According to information obtained by L’Echo, the restarting of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 – Belgium’s most recent reactors – is scheduled for the winter of 2025-2026, while the work required by the extension will be spread over time.
For now, the documents have already been approved by Engie’s board of directors, but the restricted council of ministers considers that there are some “blocking elements”, L’Echo added.
The reactors will be extended for 10 years from 2025, as Doel 4 (1,039 MW) and Tihange 3 (1,038 MW) should have ceased operating in the summer of 2025, per Belgium’s nuclear phase-out plans.
Nuclear safety recommendations for the continued operation of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 were sent to Engie, Belgium’s nuclear watchdog, the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC), announced, Belga reported. It also said that all “the necessary improvements to nuclear safety […] must be completed by 2028”.
Engie-Electrabel is now working on the concrete action plans to be implemented and a timetable – something FANC will have to greenlight, ensuring that priority is given to the most important work for nuclear safety, the Agency added.
(Anne-Sophie Gayet | EURACTIV.com)
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