Valentine's Day 2025 marks the end for the Doel 1 nuclear reactor in East Flanders. After 50 years of electricity production, later today, the plug will be pulled on the reactor on the left bank of the River Scheldt just outside Antwerp. The decommissioning of the reactor is a consequence of a decision taken in 2003 by the then Federal Government's to phase out nuclear power.
The company that operates the Doel nuclear power station Engie says that the reactor will be shut down late on Friday evening. Following the closures of the Doel 3 reactor in 2022 and the Tihange 2 reactor near Liège in 2023, this is the third Belgian nuclear reactor to be decommissioned. The Doel 2 reactor will follow on 30 November this year.
The Doel 1 reactor has been kept operational longer than originally planned. Belgian lawmakers had originally envisaged its shutdown after 40 years of electricity production. However, in 2015, the then Federal Government decided to prolong its working life by a further 10 years.
The during the next 5 years the reactor’s nuclear fuel will be cooled. Following this it will take another 10 years to complete the decommissioning process and to demolish the reactor.