Engie Electrabel has adjusted the end date for the current overhaul of the Doel 1 and 2 nuclear reactors. The announcement came on Friday from the operator of these plants. The two units will not restart again before December. At Tihange, only one reactor is presently available and the two others should again be linked to the network before winter comes.
The company explains that Doel 1 and 2 are currently subject to planned overhaul. This, in the long term, is part of the ten-year extension to the operation of each unit. Following an inspection programme around an emergency pipe which is part of the cooling water supply system for Doel 1, the necessary corrective measures continue and were extended, as a precaution, to Doel 2 details the power station operator.
The planned overhaul has consequently been extended and the unavailability moved to December 10th for Doel 1 and to December 31st for Doel 2, whilst Doel 4 will not be connected to the network before December 15th. Nevertheless, the Doel 3 unit is operating.
At Tihange, although reactor 1 of the power station is operating for the time being, an overhaul is planned from October 20th to November 28th. The two other reactors (2 and 3) are in the process of a complete overhaul, respectively until October 31st and September 30th.
These various dates may however be altered according to the result of inspections and the progress of works, warns Engie Electrabel. The company stresses that this chain of events is having no impact on the population, workers and the environment.
The Brussels Times
