Environmental organisations are protesting the decision to start up the nuclear reactors in Doel, East Flanders and in Wallonia, which have been shut down since early 2014

Local environmental organisations Greenpeace and Bond Beter Leefmilieu have criticised the decision by the federal agency for nuclear safety (Fanc) to approve the re-opening of nuclear power reactors Doel 3 in Beveren, East Flanders, and Tihange 2 in Wallonia.

“Fanc is ignoring the safety of the Belgian people with this advice,” the organisations said in a joint statement. “The Belgian government, whose final decision it is, cannot allow this risk. The only responsible decision is simply that both reactors remain closed.”

The reactors were closed in 2012 after faulty readings were recorded during routine maintenance of the steel walls of the casings. They remained closed until May 2013 when power generator Electrabel was allowed to restart. Tests led to them being closed down less than a year later when thousands of microscopic fissures were found in the steel, causing the metal to become brittle.

“The origin of the fissures is not known with any certainty,” said Jan Vande Putte of Greenpeace. “There’s nothing to say they won’t get bigger.”

According to Electrabel, the fissures are normal in any metal exposed to radiation, and the metal will not become any more brittle. Their test results were confirmed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US, which carries out research in both nuclear energy and materials science.

Fanc’s approval of re-opening is dependent on the results of ultra-sound testing after 12 to 18 months, and then every three years after that. Starting up the reactors would take “two to three weeks,” according to Fanc director Jan Bens, during which the regulator would keep the situation under close surveillance, he said.

Photo: Alexandre Jacquemin/Wikimedia