Nuclear Power in Belgium

(updated 8 March 2010)

• Belgium has seven nuclear reactors generating more than half of its electricity.
• Its first commercial nuclear power reactor began operating in 1974.
• There has been little government support for nuclear energy, but this is changing.

Electricity consumption in Belgium has grown only slowly since 1990. Per capita consumption is about 7800 kWh/yr. Nuclear energy provides 54% of the country's domestically-generated electricity - about 48 billion kWh per year gross. Natural gas provides 24 billion kWh and coal 10 billion kWh per year.

Most Belgian electricity is produced by Electrabel, a subsidiary of GdF-Suez, which also operates all the nuclear plants and owns the three at Tihange. A small amount of electricity is from SPE, a public corporation which (as of March 2008) owns a 10% share of four reactors and has rights to the output from another 5% of capacity. French utility EdF is acquiring 51% of SPE, and also has a small stake in the Tihange-1 reactor.

In 1999 the government appointed the AMPERE commission to report on electricity demand and options for meeting it in the 21st century. It also announced that reactor lifetimes would be limited to 40 years, and banned further reprocessing. The Commission reported in 2000 that nuclear power was important to Belgium and recommended its further development.

However, due to political factors in the governing coalition, a January 2003 Act prohibited the building of new nuclear power plants and limited the operating lives of existing ones to 40 years (to 2014 - 2025). This can be overridden by a recommendation from the electricity and gas regulator (CREG) if Belgium's security of supply is threatened.

In 2007 the Commission on Energy 2030 energy policy study set up by the government said that a fundamental review of energy policy was required and in particular that nuclear power should be utilised long-term in order to meet CO2 reduction commitments, enhance energy security and maintain economic stability. It also said that the 2003 phase-out decision should be reconsidered as it would double the price of electricity, deny Belgium a cheap way of meeting the country's CO2 emission reduction targets and increase import dependency. Instead, the operating lives of the seven nuclear units should be extended.

In October 2009 the government received a further report from a commissioned panel. This recommended a ten-year life extension for the three oldest nuclear power reactors to 2025 and a 20-year life extension for the other four. The government then postponed the phase-out by ten years, so that it does not begin before 2025. This will allow the licensing of reactor life extensions, and GdF-Suez expects to invest about EUR 800 million towards this. However, the operators will have to contribute a special tax of EUR 215 to 245 million per year over 2010-14 for the concession (EUR 0.5 cents/kWh), and more thereafter. GdF-Suez also agreed to subsidise renewables and demand-side management by paying at least EUR 500 million for both, and it must maintain 13,000 jobs in energy efficiency and recycling. The Energy & Climate Change minister said that the delay in closure "would guarantee security of supply, limit the production of carbon dioxide and allow us to maintain prices that protect consumer purchasing power and the competitiveness of our companies".

However, the nuclear phase-out law remains, and still prohibits new build.

Nuclear industry development

In 1962 the country's first small nuclear power reactor was commissioned at Mol - the 11 MWe prototype BR-3 PWR, which was imported from the USA. This was the first pressurised water reactor built in Europe.

In 1965 Synatom was formed as a syndicate for design of large nuclear power plants. It is now a subsidiary of Electrabel, which is largely owned by Suez-Tractabel, the electricity arm of GdF Suez.

In 1966 the Franco-Belgian 305 MWe Chooz A prototype plant was commissioned just across the border in France, and it was decided to build the Doel 1 & 2 and Tihange-1 plants in Belgium, the last being a Franco-Belgian project. These were commissioned in 1974-75 and upgraded in 1985 to improve seismic and other safety.

In 1974 a further four reactors were ordered for Doel and Tihange sites. It was decided in 1988 not to proceed with an eighth unit, which was to be a 1400 MWe N4 type at Doel jointly owned by EdF and Electrabel.

Belgian companies provided about 80% of the systems and equipment for the country's nuclear facilities, though both Westinghouse and Framatome contributed.

Operating Belgian power reactors

Reactors	Model	Net MWe	First power	40-year licence	2009 extension
Doel 1	PWR	392.5	1974	2014	2025
Doel 2	PWR	392.5	1975	2015	2025
Doel 3	PWR	1006	1982	2022
Doel 4	PWR	985	1985	2025
Tihange 1	PWR	962	1975	2015	2025
Tihange 2	PWR	1008	1982	2022
Tihange 3	PWR	1015	1985	2025
Total (7)		5761 MWe

In addition, Belgian utilities have a 25% share in output of two 1455 MWe Chooz B units operated by EdF in France, effectively adding 727 MWe. Reciprocally, EdF owns half of Tihange-1.

Mixed oxide (MOX) fuel has been used since 1995.

In 2001 replacement of the steam generators at Tihange-2 added 48 MWe to its capacity. Steam generators are being replaced progressively at most plants. Uprates increased total capacity by 219 MWe from 1994 to 2002.

In 2009 Electrabel began preparing the safety case for extending the operating lives of Doel 1 & 2 and Tihange 1 by ten years.

Fuel cycle

Enriched uranium is imported by Synatom, which retains ownership of it through its use by Electrabel to final disposal. Synatom has an 11% share in Eurodif.

Fuel fabrication is by Areva'a FBFC International 400 t/yr plant at Mol-Dessel. Belgonucleaire is decommissioning its 35 t/yr MOX plant there, which closed in 2006.

The Eurochemic reprocessing plant at Dessel was built as a joint facility with 12 other OECD states. It operated 1966 to 1974 and after 12 years idle it is now being dismantled by Belgoprocess (see below).

Synatom contracted with Cogema for reprocessing spent fuel at La Hague in 1978, but after this was renewed in 1991 parliament suspended it and from 1993 both options for spent fuel were to be treated equally.

Engineering is provided by Suez-Tractabel and Belgonucleaire through their joint subsidiary Belgatom.

Radioactive Waste Management

ONDRAF/NIRAS - the national agency for radioactive waste and fissile materials management - is responsible for the safe management of all radioactive materials in the country, including transport, treatment, conditioning, storage and disposal. Its main facility is at the Mol-Dessel site, run by its subsidiary Belgoprocess.

A number of shipments of vitrified high-level waste from reprocessed Belgian fuel have taken place from La Hague in France. The wastes are stored at Dessel.

In June 2006 the government decided that low-level and short-lived intermediate-level wastes would be disposed of in a surface repository at Dessel. The municipality of Mol had also been considered and expressed a willingness for the facility to be there.

Research on deep geological disposal of intermediate and high-level wastes is underway and focused on the clays at Mol. In 1980-84 the Hades underground research laboratory was constructed 225 m deep in the Boom clay.

Funding of waste management and decommissioning is through Synatom and borne by the waste producers, notably the power companies.

The 40 MWt BR-3 prototype PWR reactor which was started up in 1962 and closed down in 1987 is being decommissioned by Synatom with one quarter of the costs borne by the electricity producers.

The Franco-Belgian Chooz A in France was closed in 1991 and is being decommissioned by EdF.

Belgonucleaire’s MOX fuel fabrication plant at Dessel is being decommissioned over 2009-13 by Siemens.

Regulation and safety

The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) operates under the Minister of Interior. Its focus is on radiation safety, both occupational and public, under a 1994 Act which replaced a 1958 Act.

ONDRAF/NIRAS was set up under a 1980 Act which was replaced in 1991.

R&D

R&D is mainly carried out by the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK/CEN) at Mol. It runs the 100 MW BR-2 high-flux tank-type research reactor which started up in 1961 but has been modified since, and two small units. BR-2 produces about 16% of the world's Mo-99/Tc-99m for medical use.

SCK/CEN is planning to build the new Multipurpose Hybrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications (MYRRHA) at Mol when funds are made available. It is envisaged as a partnership of Belgium, the EU, the European Investment Bank, and other partners. Initially it will be a 57 MWt accelerator-driven system (ADS), with proton accelerator coupled to a subcritical fast core, and lead-bismuth cooled. As an ADS it will be used to prove that technology and to study transmutation of long-lived radionuclides in nuclear waste. Later on it is intended to be run as a critical fast neutron facility, decoupling the accelerator and removing the spallation loop from the reactor core. Then MYRRHA will be used for fuel research, for materials research for Generation IV reactors, and for the production of radioisotopes and doped silicon, an essential 
component of high-grade electronic circuits. Following an independent international evaluation , Belgium approved its 40% share of the funding in March 2010 - about EUR 384 million, which puts the project on course for construction start in 2015 and operation about 2023.

In 1967 Belgium joined with Germany and Holland to build a 300 MWe prototype fast breeder reactor at Kalkar in Germany. The plant was completed but never run. Belgium also participated in France's Superphenix fast reactor.

Non-proliferation

Belgium is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) since 1975 as a non-nuclear weapons state. It is member of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group. The Additional Protocol in relation to its safeguards agreements with the IAEA was signed in 1998 and came into force in 2004.

Sources:
IAEA 2003, Country Nuclear Power Profiles

參考來源:World Nuclear Association