Belgium: the fifth Belgian reactor has been permanently shut down. Block 2 at Doel ceased operation after 50 years.

Block 2 of the Doel nuclear power plant in the Belgian region of Flanders has been permanently disconnected from the grid, marking the end of its 50-year operational life. This shutdown is in line with Belgium's policy of gradual phasing out nuclear energy, according to which five of seven nuclear reactors in the country have been shut down so far.

The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control of Belgium (FANC) announced that the shutdown operation of the pressurized water reactor (PWR), with a net capacity of 445 megawatts (MWe net), was carried out under its supervision.

Block 2 of Doel NPP is now entering the decommissioning phase as preparation for dismantling. Nuclear fuel will be removed from the reactor and cooled in the storage pool before it is transported to a temporary storage facility. This is a routine process that is carried out each time fuel is replaced in the reactor.

By the way, the Belgian federal law of 2003 originally required the gradual shutdown of all seven nuclear reactors. Doel 1 and 2 blocks were originally supposed to be shut down in 2015 (after 40 years of operation), but the law was later amended, allowing them an additional 10 years. Thus Doel 1 was retired in February this year; Doel 3 was closed in September 2022; Tihange 2 was shut down at the end of January 2023; and Tihange 1 was disconnected from the grid on September 30 of this year.

But the remaining two reactors will stay on the grid longer than what was planned by the 2003 law which mandated the complete shutdown of all nuclear reactors. Thus the last two reactors – Doel 4 and Tihange 3 – were also initially scheduled for shutdown last month. However, after the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, the Belgian federal parliament by a large majority voted to repeal the 2003 law which prescribed the gradual phase-out of nuclear energy and the ban on building new nuclear capacities. The government and operator Electrabel then agreed to extend their operation for another ten years, to 2035.

Both units underwent a long-term operation (LTO overhaul) in 2025, including extensive inspection and maintenance. After a detailed analysis by FANC and its technical subsidiary Bel V, both reactors were restarted: Tihange 3 in July, and Doel 4 in October.

And FANC also urged that during this legislative term there should be clarity about a possible extension of the operation of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 beyond 2035. This would, as they note, enable timely initiation of the necessary safety analyses and preparatory steps.