Tihange 1 nuclear reactor turned off after 50 years. Belgium is counting on restarting

The oldest Belgian nuclear reactor Tihange 1 will be disconnected from the network after 50 years of work on Tuesday evening. Although the ENGIE-ELECTRABEL operator considers its further action to be too expensive and technically difficult, the government in Brussels is counting on the possibility of restarting.

Around 23 Reactor Tihange 1 in the Walloan province of Liege will definitely be stopped and its connection to the energy network is interrupted – informed the Flemish broadcaster VRT. This is the fourth of seven Belgian reactors, which is excluded as part of the plan of gradually departing from nuclear energy.

Tihange 1 has been operating since 1975 and was originally to finish work in 2015, but due to concerns about energy deficiencies, its operation was extended by another decade. The Belgian government, and especially the Minister of Energy Mathieu Biheet from the liberal reform movement (MR), would like to re -extend the reactor's activity by even another 10 years.

The ENGIE-ELECTRABEL operator, however, rejects this possibility, indicating the huge costs and the need to carry out complicated technical work. In addition, the company is preparing for the demolition of the Tihange 1 chimney cold room to make room for dismantling the neighboring Tihange 2 reactor, off at the beginning of 2023.

The Tihange 1 switching out process will include the core emptying and the cooling of nuclear fuel, which will go to the temporary landfill. The disassembly of the reactor itself is to start in 2028 and last until around 2040.

At the same time, the government is considering further extending the work of younger reactors Doel 4 and Tihange 3 – up to 20 years. The Belgian Planning Office forecasts that by 2050 the demand for electricity in the country may double.

Patryk Kulpok (PAP)

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