After producing electricity for fifty years, nuclear reactor Doel 2 is permanently shutting down.
Doel 2 is the fifth Belgian reactor to be closed, following Doel 3, Tihange 2, Doel 1, and Tihange 1.
Reactors Doel 4 and Tihange 3 are allowed to continue operating until 2035.
The Belgian government, under Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, had decided during the previous legislative term to extend the operational life of the country’s two youngest reactors, Doel 4 and Tihange 3, after negotiations with Engie.
With a capacity of 445 megawatts, Doel 2 is one of the smaller reactors in Belgium. Located near the Scheldt River, the reactor officially began generating electricity on 1 December 1975.
Tonight, operators from energy company Engie will shut down the reactor from its control room and disconnect it from the high-voltage grid.
The closure of Doel 2 was originally dictated by Belgium’s nuclear phase-out law, which has since been revised. However, Doel 2 no longer meets the legal safety requirements for nuclear facilities, making its continued operation impossible.
Engie has also confirmed it has no plans to keep the reactor in use.
Belgium remains highly dependent on energy imports, particularly crude oil and natural gas, with an energy dependency rate of nearly 76%.
Energy consumed from renewable sources reached 14.3% in Belgium in 2024, according to the European Environment Agency.
