Belgian nuclear reactor shuts down 3 days after re-launch
A 40-year-old Belgian nuclear reactor has been shut down just three days after its re-launch in what is described as a “normal safety mechanism.”
Belgium’s power utility company Electrabel said the ageing Doel 1 reactor in north of the European country shut down on Saturday after it was restarted on December 30 and that there were no safety risks involved in the operation.
"Doel 1 automatically shut down at 6:00 pm," said an Electrabel spokeswoman, explaining that the recent re-launch of the reactor came after it was originally shut down in February 2015 as part of the country’s new regulation that urges the phase out of nuclear power in Belgium.
"Everything went according to procedure. There was no impact on safety, and no impact on staff, local residents and the environment," added the company official, who did not elaborate on what caused the safety mechanism to kick in.
The development came as Belgium decided last month to extend the life of Doel 1 and Doel 2, both 40 years old, until 2025.
Environmental advocates, particularly in neighboring Germany, have opposed the plan, insisting that the reactors are too old to be considered harmless.
During normal operation, the two reactors can produce 866 megawatts of power, equivalent to nearly six percent of Belgium's total electricity capacity.
Belgium has experienced a number of nuclear mishaps in recent years, with three of the country's seven reactors shut down at one point, in two cases due to the discovery of micro-cracks in the reactor vessels.
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