In addition, the fuel currently burning in the Doel 3 and Tihange 2 reactors is reaching the end of its life. “The fuel for these two plants will be almost completely exhausted by the time the reactors are definitively shut down. We do not have any in stock and have not ordered any new ones”explains Nele Scheerlinck, specifying that a fuel must be ordered “several years in advance.”
According to the spokesperson, fuel at the end of its life still contains some energy, “but it is much more complicated for plant operators to adjust the power and restart the plant in the event of an automatic shutdown”, she says. “The restart might take several days. These are days when we are consuming power from the external grid rather than redistributing it. It’s contradictory.”
“Maintenance time is always out of step with political time”
For Céline Parotte, expert in energy policies, nuclear waste management and critical infrastructure, Engie’s response is not surprising. “I don’t think it’s a question of bad faith since nuclear energy has nothing to do with electrical energy. Production is one thing, but safety conditions are another. whether dismantling or extension, you have to be able to guarantee the safety of people and the environment.”
“Often, politicians are short of time in the sense that their requirements relate to one or two pieces of legislation. But maintenance time is always out of step with political time. If, for example, we take action for dismantling tomorrow, the reactor will not be not dismantled for decades, since an implementation and authorization plan must be drawn up, submitted to a safety organization which will then validate it.” For an extension, a similar pattern applies, believes the researcher.
