BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2022) Belgium began the shut down of one of the four reactors at the Doel Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) as part of the nuclear exit plan, the RTBF broadcaster reported.
The Doel NPP, located on the outskirts of the city of Antwerp, has been in operation for 40 years. The reactor that will be closed down is the third unit of the NPP and could alone account for 10% of Belgium's electricity production.
In 2021, Belgium's ruling coalition decided to stop all operating nuclear reactors by 2025. However the conflict in Ukraine and the sharp rise in energy prices forced the government to reconsider this decision and keep two reactors until 2035. A number of politicians insist on extending the operation of other reactors due to the energy crisis in the EU and soaring energy prices.
Since 2021, energy prices in Europe have been growing as part of a global trend of post-COVID recovery. After the beginning of Russia's military operation in Ukraine and the adoption of several packages of sanctions against Moscow by the West, fuel prices have accelerated the growth, pushing many European governments to resort to contingency measures.
