Doel 1 reactor given the green light to restart

Doel 1 reactor given the green light to restart

The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) announced today in a press release that it had given the green light to restart Doel 1. Last April, Engie Electrabel (electricity producer and energy supplier) found a leak in an emergency cooling water circuit pipe. The reactor had to be shut down for maintenance and revision. "The facilities’ safety is now guaranteed," the federal agency says. 

Repairs had begun in early November, and the FANC had requested to be informed of the cause of the problem before it approved the reactor’s reboot. Examination of the pipe showed that the leak was due to material fatigue, the federal agency says. 

The Doel 2 reactor had also been shut down for maintenance and inspection of the same pipe, which Electrabel had to partially replace because it was showing evidence of weakening, although less important. FANC authorized its restarting late in January. 

To avoid similar problems in the future, Engie Electrabel must now ensure pipe quality during construction, as well as follow-up inspection during any subsequent revisions, FANC added.

The Brussels Times


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