Belgian power utility Electrabel said Saturday it had restarted a nuclear reactor at its ageing Tihange plant, just days after being forced to shut it down following a fire in the electricity supply system.
An Electrabel spokesman said the Tihange 1 reactor was put back on line as scheduled and would be running at full power in due course.
Last week's shutdown of the reactor was "normal procedure" after such a fire, the company said previously.
Tihange 1 is the oldest of three reactors at the plant, about an hour's drive southwest of Brussels, and began service in 1975.
It was meant to be closed completely in 2015 but the government decided in 2012 to keep it running until 2025 to help ensure electricity supplies while other energy sources are developed.
Environmentalists, especially in neighbouring Germany which is phasing out nuclear power, have criticised extending the life of Belgium's reactors, which they say are too old to be considered safe.
Belgium has suffered a series of nuclear mishaps in recent years, with three of the country's seven reactors closed at one point, in two cases due to the discovery of micro-cracks in the reactor vessels.
Overnight Thursday, Electrabel was forced to halt another reactor at its Doel plant near the northern city of Antwerp, only days after it was restarted following a 21-month shutdown.
The company said at the time it expected to resume operation of the Doel 3 reactor "within a few days."
An Electrabel spokeswoman said Saturday that the Doel 1 reactor, halted since early this year and which was supposed to have been restarted on Sunday, will now come on line on Thursday instead.
Such slippage in estimated dates was "normal," she added.
GMT 14:36 2018 Sunday ,14 January
Fossil fuels blown away by wind in cost terms: studyGMT 18:20 2018 Thursday ,11 January
Ukraine to launch its first solar plant at ChernobylGMT 18:44 2018 Tuesday ,09 January
Finland's Fortum snaps up EON's fossil fuels stakeGMT 17:39 2018 Wednesday ,03 January
Norway powers ahead electrically with over half of new car sales now electric or hybridGMT 15:36 2018 Wednesday ,03 January
Minister of Mining Says Govt. Invested MAD 12.3 Billion between 2003-2017GMT 18:00 2017 Saturday ,23 December
Energy prices bump key US inflation index up in NovemberGMT 09:01 2017 Friday ,15 December
BP plan to buy Australian petrol pump network blockedGMT 14:54 2017 Monday ,27 November
Belarus nuclear power plant stirs fears in LithuaniaMaintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor