The Federal Nuclear Control Agency (AFCN) has put forward the idea of extending Doel 4 and Tihange 3 without stopping them during the works, in order to guarantee security of supply during the winters of 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, report L’Echo and De Tijd on Saturday.
The idea arose during a meeting organized on February 13 between the FANC, Engie Electrabel and members of the offices of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld), Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden (CD&V ) and Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen).
This option – which was initially preferred by the Minister of Energy, but which was said to have been abandoned for security reasons – would make it possible to avoid the (short) extension of the three oldest reactors, while guaranteeing the supply for winters 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
The work requiring the shutdown of the reactors would be carried out during the maintenance periods and the other tasks would be spread over time, according to a new schedule.
