Politics Nuclear reactor in Belgium shuts down due to broken pump
A reactor has failed at Belgium's Tihange nuclear power plant near the German border. The reactor, which is scheduled to be taken off the grid for good in October, shut down automatically, reports the Belgian news agency Belga, citing the operator Engie. The reason for the breakdown was a defective circulation pump.
20.01.2025, 13:20
SDA
There is no danger to people or the environment, and security of supply is also guaranteed, it added. The pump is located in the non-nuclear part of the reactor. The reason for its failure is now being investigated. The power plant is located around 60 kilometers from Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Belgian nuclear power plants cause discussion in Germany
Belgium has two nuclear power plants with a total of seven reactors - two of which have already been taken off the grid. In the summer of 2023, the operating life of two reactors at the Doel power plant near the city of Antwerp and Tihange was extended by ten years in order to strengthen security of supply. They were originally due to be shut down in 2025.
In Germany, the Belgian nuclear reactors from the 1970s and 80s are a constant source of debate. Reactors in the neighboring country have repeatedly been found to have defects, such as dilapidated concrete parts. As a result, the city of Aachen and the German government, among others, have repeatedly called for the nuclear power plants to be shut down.
