Tihange 3 reactor gets green light to restart from nuclear watchdog
The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC), Belgium's nuclear watchdog, has given the green light for the restart and continued operation of the Tihange 3 nuclear reactor. According to De Tijd, Tihange 3 will restart on 17 July, after more than three months of maintenance, and continue to supply electricity for another ten years.
Tihange 3 is one of the Belgian reactors, along with Doel 4, that will generate electricity for another ten years, until 2035. The government has reached an agreement on this with nuclear operator Engie.
In order to keep the power stations open for longer, approval from the FANC is also required. Engie had to submit a comprehensive dossier and action plan for Tihange 3, which has now been approved by the FANC.
Tihange 3 had already been shut down since the beginning of April for extensive maintenance with a view to remaining open for ten more years. During that period, work was carried out that the FANC considered absolutely essential to remain open longer, such as the replacement of certain parts. Engie now has three years, until September 2028, to complete the rest of the work.
Tihange 3 may be restarted very soon. According to De Tijd, this will happen on 17 July. This would be well before the date of 1 November that had been agreed upon before the start of winter.
Engie also has an action plan in the pipeline for Doel 4. This still has to be approved by the FANC. Here too, the intention is to restart by 1 November at the latest.
The nuclear Belgian power plant of Tihange near Huy © BELGA PHOTO JOHN THYS / AFP
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