CONSULTING

In spite of widespread concerns, and although no accountable explanation about the negative
initial fracture toughness test results could be given, on 17 November 2015, FANC authorized
restart of Doel-3 and Tihange-2, considered by Electrabel “totally safe”. 705 Tihange-2 restarted on
14 December 2015. Doel-3 will need to permanently pre-heat a large amount (around 1,800 m 3 )
of water for the case of emergency core-cooling water injection, in order to ease the stress of the
thermal shock on the pressure vessel. 706
In January 2016, independent material scientist Ilse Tweer concluded:
Keeping in mind that growth of the flaws in the RPV [Reactor Pressure Vessel] shells during operation
cannot be excluded the authorized restart of the two nuclear power plants is not understandable. 707
In an unprecedented move, on 20 April 2016, Germany's Environment Minister Barbara
Hendricks called—in vain—for the provisional shutdown of Doel-3 and Tihange-2 “until open
safety questions are cleared up”. 708 Doel-3 restarted four days later.
The Belgian government did not wait for the outcome of the Doel-3/Tihange-2 issue and decided
in March 2015 to draft legislation to extend the lifetime of Doel-1 and Doel-2 by ten years to
2025. 709 The law was promulgated on 28 June 2015, and went into effect on 6 July 2015. 710 The
government signed an agreement with Electrabel on 30 November 2015 that stipulates that the
operator will invest €700 million (US$741.2 million) into upgrading of the two units 711 and an
annual fee of €20 million (US$21.2 million), which will be paid into the national Energy Transition
Fund, set up by the law of 28 June 2015. However, the list of works to be carried out is still under
discussion, while the tax has been defined on the basis of the sole operator's estimate of the
upgrading cost. The Belgian Conseil d'Etat had considered in an Opinion dated 16 November 2015
that the Electrabel-Government agreement contained indirect compensation insurances that
could violate EU law and that in any case, the European Commission would have to be notified
beforehand. 712 The law has been amended on 2 June 2016, clarifying the conditions of the
relationship between state and operator in the implementation of the legislation.
705 Engie-Electrabel, “The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control approves safe restart of Doel 3 and Tihange 2”,
Press Release, 17 November 2015, see http://corporate.engie-electrabel.be/news/press-releases/the-federalagency-for-nuclear-control-approves-safe-restart-of-doel-3-and-tihange-2/,
accessed 2 July 2016.
706 Chamber of Representatives of Belgium, “Compte Rendu Analytique–Sous-Commission de la Sécurité
Nucléaire”, 2 December 2015.
707 Ilse Tweer, “Flawed Reactor Pressure Vessels in the Belgian NPPS Doel 3 and Tihange 2—Comments
on the FANC Final Evaluation Report 2015”, Materials Scientist and Consultant, Report commissioned by the
Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, January 2016.
708 BMUB, “Reaktorsicherheits-Experten sehen weiteren Untersuchungsbedarf für Tihange 2 und Doel 3—
Hendricks: Solange Untersuchung läuft, sollten AKW vorübergehend vom Netz”, German Federal Ministry
for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Press Release, 20 April 2016.
709 Marie-Christine Marghem, “Measures which intend to assure the security of supply in Belgium”,
Minister of Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (Belgium), Press Release, 5 March 2015,
see http://www.marghem.belgium.be/en/measures-which-intend-assure-security-supply-belgium, accessed
2 July 2016.
710 Moniteur Belge, op.cit.
711 Electrabel, “Sécurité d’approvisionnement et transition énergétique – Accord sur la prolongation de
Doel 1 et Doel 2”, Press Release, 1 December 2015.
712 Chamber of Representatives of Belgium, “Projet de Loi modifiant la loi du 31 Janvier 2003 sur la sortie
progressive de l'énergie nucléaire à des fins de production industrielle d'électricité – Avis du Conseil
d'Etat”, 9 December 2015.
Mycle Schneider, Antony Froggatt et al. 175 World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2016