A legal challenge has frozen the permit granted to Electrabel (Engie) to demolish two cooling towers at the Tihange nuclear site in Liège Province, Belgium, which was planned to begin this September, according to reports by L’Echo and De Tijd on Tuesday.
The challenge has been brought by at least six parties, including WePlanet Belgium and its European umbrella group, the municipality of Huy (where the Tihange reactor is located), the citizens’ group 100TWh, and two individuals. They argue the demolition would irreversibly impact Belgium’s nuclear energy production, jeopardising energy security and increasing CO2 emissions.
Engie’s management in Paris has stated it plans to adhere to a contract signed with the previous government, which allows for a ten-year extension of only the two newest of three reactors at the site. In contrast, Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) and Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet (MR) are advocating for the restart of Tihange 1, and older reactor, which was shut down in October.
The case now rests with François Desquesnes, Walloon Minister for Regional Planning (Les Engagés). A decision on the permit could be made before summer, as the review process allows 45 days for a technical report and 50 days for the minister’s final decision.
