Belgium may extend lifespan of old nuclear reactors: sources

[September 17, 2014]  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium could keep two of the country's oldest nuclear reactors running for up to 10 years longer than planned if other plants remain offline because of safety shutdowns, two sources close to government coalition talks said.

The 433 megawatt (MW) Doel 1 and 2 reactors operated by GDF Suez unit Electrabel, built in 1975 and scheduled to for shutdown in 2015, may now be kept operational until 2025, by which time Belgium plans to decommission all its nuclear plants.

Two newer reactors, the 1,008 MW Tihange 2 and the 1,006 MW Doel 3, are offline because of cracks in their steel reactor casings. With Doel 4 also closed because of damage to its turbine, more than 3 gigawatts is currently offline, more than half the country's total nuclear capacity.

Keeping the two older reactors open will depend on a positive recommendation from Belgium's nuclear watchdog.

However, the new government will not change the target agreed in 2011 for the the closure of all Belgium's reactors by 2025, one of the sources said.

Four political parties, including the Flemish separatists N-VA, which emerged as the country's largest party after elections in May, are in coalition talks to form the next government.

(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by David Goodman)

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