Belgium's oldest nuclear reactor has begun to shut down. Doel 1 will be permanently disconnected on 14 February.
Five of the seven nuclear reactors in Belgium are still operational. Doel 3 and Tihange 2 were decommissioned in 2022 and 2023 under the nuclear phase-out plan. Doel 1, Doel 2 and Tihange 1 are set to follow this year.
The previous government reached an agreement with operator Engie to keep Tihange 3 and Doel 4 running for an additional ten years, until 2035.
Doel 1, with a capacity of 445 megawatts, is one of the smaller reactors. By the time it is disconnected on 14 February, it will have produced electricity for 50 years.
The process of decommissioning Doel 1 is already underway, according to Engie.
"The nuclear reactor is winding down," a spokesperson told Belga News Agency. "The nuclear fuel is depleting, causing a gradual loss of power. The reactor will be shut down late in the evening on 14 February. After that, it will be cooled, and the fuel rods will be removed, which is a process that takes several weeks."
Doel 1 and Doel 2 are twin reactors, meaning they share certain systems. The shared components, such as pumps, will continue to operate until Doel 2 is also disconnected from the grid.
