Tihange Nuclear Power Station
F1
Active reactors ( gross ):
The nuclear power plant Tihange is operated by the Belgian company Electrabel Nuclear Power Plant on the boundary of Huy on the Meuse about 25 km southwest of Liege, which is about 70 km southwest of Aachen.
In addition to the nuclear power plant Doel it is the second in-service nuclear power plant in Belgium.
It consists of three blocks with pressurized water reactors. Block 1 has a gross capacity of 1,009 MW (e ), block 2 has a gross capacity of 1,055 MW ( e) and block 3 has a gross capacity of 1,065 MW ( e). The operator declared in November 2011, the oldest block - wanting to take 2015 by the network, as further investments no longer rewarded - Block 1. The head of reactor engineering at the RWTH Aachen and Forschungszentrum Jülich, Prof. Allelein emphasized in 2011 several times in the press that the reactors are safe in Tihange. A cross-border citizens' initiative involved with scientific support against their opinion, unsafe nuclear power plant. On 4 July 2012, the Belgian government decided (Cabinet di Rupio ), but to take the oldest block Tihange 1 until 2025 by the network; otherwise you may be feared bottlenecks in the power supply. For Units 2 and 3, the approval expires unchanged after 40 years, ie 2023 or 2025.
Incidents
On 22 November 2002 an incident occurred in block 2 (INES 2). Although the reactor shut down at this time and was no longer critical due to the decay heat produced it or heat, which is dissipated in the power operation, such as by circulating coolant in the primary circuit. In one test, a safety valve of the pressurizer was accidentally opened, causing the pressure in the primary circuit very quickly fell cash from 155 to 85 bar. The high pressure in the primary circuit during operation causes the water does not boil even at a high temperature, but remains in the liquid state. The pressure decreases, then the boiling point of water is reduced (which passes into the gaseous state ). Then, the decay heat of the fuel can no longer be removed and there is the danger of a meltdown. In this specific case, several security systems have been activated due to the rapid pressure drop, as they pumped the water in the primary circuit and so the fuel further cooled. The erroneously open the pressure relief valve is closed again after three minutes.
On 25 October 2006 some 30 Greenpeace activists arrived at the power plant site and occupy it. They put on the dome a huge crack dar. With the action on the 30 -year-old power plant Greenpeace wanted to draw attention to the age ( s) of the Belgian nuclear power plants.
On October 4, 2010 shortly before after 18 clock ran around 600 liters of acidic water from a ditch into the Meuse. After power plant information entered in the accident of no radioactive material; the acid is said to have neutralized in the river water quickly.
On 5 December 2011, there came to unexplained variations in controls of the cooling system (INES 1). According to the Belgian Nuclear Regulatory Commission AFCN (Agence de contrôle fédérale Nucléaire ) the issue was resolved.
On February 7, 2012 it was recognized that a group of heating elements of the pressurizer of Tihange 1 were non-functional. This gave the AFCN on February 15, 2012. The incident was classified as INES -1 event.
The pressurizer with the built-in heating elements and spray systems is relevant in order to maintain the pressure in the primary circuit in extreme situations such as a reactor scram can and so keep the nuclear reactor control.
In July 2012, it was announced that the spent fuel pools of Tihange 1 per day to lose about 2 liters of radioactive water. The problem has existed since 2005; it could not be eliminated (as of July 2012).
In August 2012, block 2 has been shut down after they found cracks in the reactor vessel. Investigation revealed that these cracks were discovered in 1979 during construction. 21 reactor vessel of this type were manufactured by the ( defunct since 1996 ) Company Rotterdamsche Dry Dock Maatschappij (Rotterdam). These include Tihange 2 and Doel 3 Possible cracks in the reactor Doel 3 were, according to the AFCN in an ongoing since early June routine inspection discovered with new ultrasonic measuring devices. The Belgian Nuclear Regulatory Commission FANC stated in a research report that the cracks " most likely " already in the production of pressure vessel developed and therefore are harmless. The FANC gave permission for the continued operation of nuclear power plants in May 2013. January Bens, the current head of the supposedly independent regulatory authority, was from 2004 also director of Atomanalage Doel. He graduated from that it could ever come to a nuclear accident in Belgium. In early June 2013, the reactor of Unit 2 was ramped up again. In March 2014 Doel 3 and Tihange 2 were shut down again on the orders of the authorities. Tests in the research reactor mole with the reactor vessel material of the two plants would have provided " unexpected results " in terms of mechanical resistance. The shutdown lasts for the time being until June 2014, the time window should be used for further testing.
Resistance
17 September 2011 demonstrated rd. 2000 people from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany before the Tihange nuclear plant, demanding the closure of the reactors. The demonstration was organized by the transnational alliance Stop Tihange.
On the occasion of reported cracks in the reactor vessel, the Alliance Stop Tihange organized on January 12, 2013 demonstration in Maastricht, on the rd. 1000 people took part.
Data of the reactor units
The nuclear power plant Tihange has a total of three blocks: