On 23 September, the Doel 3 nuclear reactor was permanently disconnected from the electricity grid. This occurred just days before the legal shutdown date of October 1, because the reactor’s fuel cycle had come to an end.
After Doel 3, in 2023 it will be Tihange 2’s turn to be permanently disconnected from the network. The legal closing date is February 1st. The reactor will not be shut down until midnight on January 31, and will then produce electricity until the end of the legal deadline. After all, it seems that there is still enough fuel for the Tihange 2. The power plant will no longer operate at full power.
After the closure of Doel 3 in September and Tihange 2 in February, our country will have five nuclear power plants left. The remaining power plants will normally shut down in 2025. The government is currently negotiating with operator Engie to extend the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 reactors by ten years. However, those negotiations are progressing smoothly. Engie has previously confirmed that negotiations have been “delayed”.
