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In the news:
From 7 to 5 to 2?
How it used to be: For decades,
The current state of affairs: The much-discussed "crack power plants" Doel 3 and Tihange 2 recently shut down. This means that
- The three oldest reactors from 1975 will close in 2025, relatively soon according to the nuclear phase-out law.
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The two youngest reactors from 1985, Doel 4 and Tihange 3, were given a 10-year extension after a hard-fought deal between the federal government and
Engie and will remain open until 2035.
The news: Political voices have been calling for some time to keep more nuclear reactors open than just Doel 4 and Tihange 3, which could also become a theme in the 2024 election campaigns. But
- No need to count on a restart of the "crack power plants" Doel 3 and Tihange 2 because the nuclear fuel there has been removed, Saegeman said. The history of safety problems at both reactors is an additional negative argument.
- Then again, the three oldest reactors will reach the critical age of 50 in 2025. "With the current safety regulations, we don't see how we can extend it," Saegeman explained in Flémalle.
What after 2035?
Another scenario: In short,
More to the point: The 10-year extension, on which an agreement was reached with the federal government in June, is still not entirely in the works.
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