AFP or licensors

Bad luck and the spectre of power cuts this winter is back!

Maintenance work on the Doel 1 nuclear reactor is going to take longer than expected after it became clear that additional and extremely complex works are required.  As a result the reactor that provides important electricity supplies in Belgium will be out of service until the end of January and not until the middle of December as initially planned.

Doel 1's sister reactor Doel 2 is undergoing maintenance too, but if it also suffers the same fate as Doel 1, if the same problems surface, then the restart planned for the end of December may slip.

Electricity generator Engie is looking for ways of tackling any electricity shortage in January and would like to restart Tihange 3 sooner than planned by delaying some works.  At present only two of the country's nuclear reactors are producing power.  The delay on Doel 1 and the possible delay on Doel 2 are raising concerns about power supplies this winter.

Energy minister Marghem has had to cancel her trip to Egypt to convene an energy sector taskforce.  In interviews the minister claims that for years electricity company Engie Electrabel has made insufficient investments in Belgian nuclear power plants.

Top stories