Tihange.
After 40 years of operation, the controversial Tihange 2 nuclear reactor near the German border in Belgium has finally gone offline.
The controversial nuclear reactor is in Belgium after 40 years tihange 2 gone off the grid for good near the German border. As reported by the Belgian news agency Belga, citing the operator Engie Electrabel, the reactor was shut down at 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday evening.
There are two other reactors in the nuclear power plant, which is about 60 kilometers from Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia. Belgium also operates three other reactors at the Doel nuclear power plant near the city Antwerp.
Power plants in Belgium: defects in the reactors
In Germany there has long been criticism of the Belgian power plants from the 1970s and 80s. This was repeated several times at the reactors in the neighboring country defects noted, such as dilapidated concrete parts. The city of Aachen and the federal government have therefore repeatedly called for the nuclear power plants to be shut down in the past.
The reactor was already in September in the course of the planned nuclear phase-out in Belgium Doel 3 been taken off the network. The next shutdowns are now scheduled for 2025.
Ukraine war: Planned phase-out of nuclear power postponed
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) had welcomed the planned shutdown of Tihange 2 in the “Rheinische Post”. “The decommissioning ensures significantly more security in our two countries, ”said the Green politician. Together with the reactor Doel 3, which was shut down in September, “the nuclear power plant caused negative headlines for years due to cracks in the reactor pressure vessels and worried the population”.
Originally had been planned all Belgian nuclear power plants until 2025 to take off the network. Against the background of the Ukraine war and the increased energy prices, the Tihange 3 and Doel 4 reactors are now supposed to continue running until at least the end of 2035 in order to secure the energy supply. (dpa)
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