Possible short circuit: Doel 2 nuclear reactor shuts down

Created: 2022-10-06Updated: 2022-10-06, 4:05 p.m

The Belgian nuclear reactor Doel 2 near Antwerp unexpectedly went offline due to a possible short circuit.

© Oliver Berg/dpa/archive image

The Belgian nuclear reactor Doel 2 near Antwerp unexpectedly went offline due to a possible short circuit.

The reactor shut down automatically on Thursday morning, the Belga news agency reported, citing the operator Engie.

The reason is probably a short circuit in the control system of a control rod.

"It's a purely operational issue.

Antwerp - There is no risk to safety," said an Engie spokesman.

According to Belga, there have been no effects on the electricity market so far.

On Monday, the Tihange 3 nuclear reactor, about 60 kilometers from Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia, had to be taken off the grid without being planned.

According to the operator, the reason was a drop in pressure in one of the steam generators.

The reactor should be switched on again on October 15 at the earliest.

Altogether there are two nuclear power plants in Belgium, Tihange and Doel on the Dutch border, with a total of six reactors still active.

The original plan was to take all Belgian nuclear power plants offline by 2025.

Against the background of the Ukraine war and the increased energy prices, the government now wants to keep the Tihange 3 and Doel 4 reactors running until at least the end of 2035 in order to ensure energy security.

Negotiations are underway with Engie for implementation.

Last year, around half of Belgium's electricity production came from nuclear power.

In Germany there has long been criticism of the Belgian power plants from the 1970s and 80s.

Defects such as dilapidated concrete parts were repeatedly found on the reactors.

The city of Aachen and the federal government have therefore repeatedly called for the nuclear power plants to be shut down in the past.

dpa