Brussels (dpa / lnw) – The Belgian nuclear reactor Tihange 3 will not be restarted this Wednesday as planned. The reactor should not be switched on again until October 15 at the earliest, as the Belga news agency reported on Tuesday evening, citing the operator Engie. Additional maintenance work would be carried out in the next few days. In addition, technical analyzes are still in progress, Engie explained.
Tihange 3 was unexpectedly taken off the grid on Monday. According to the operator, the reason was a drop in pressure in one of the three steam generators. Engie said the shutdown would have no impact on the safety of the facilities or employees.
Tihange 3 is about 60 kilometers from Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia. The reactor is one of two nuclear reactors that the Belgian government wants to keep running until at least the end of 2035 against the background of the Ukraine war and increased energy prices in order to ensure energy security. Negotiations are underway with Engie for implementation. Belgium had originally planned to phase out nuclear power by 2025.
In Germany there has long been criticism of the Belgian power plants from the 1970s and 80s. Several defects were found in the reactors in the neighboring country, such as dilapidated concrete parts. The city of Aachen and the federal government have therefore repeatedly called for the nuclear power plants to be shut down in the past.
