Doel Nuclear Power Station
History
In the late 1960s Belgium chose nuclear power to produce part of its electricity. The ever-increasing demand for energy could no longer be met by fossil fuels alone. Therefore the government decided to build 4 nuclear reactors in Doel and 3 in Tihange.
In 1968, Doel 1 and 2 were ordered. The surroundings of Doel were ideal because of the cooling water which could be extracted from the nearby Scheldt. The works started by creating 80 hectares of reclaimed polder area. The dykes were increased in height to 11 meters above sea level. Construction started in 1969 and in 1970 the first staff were recruited. The Doel 1 reactor was commissioned in early 1975 and later that year Doel 2 also followed. Doel 3 was connected to the grid in 1982 and in mid 1985 Doel 4 was fully operational.
On 23 September 2022, Doel 3 , as the first nuclear power plant in Belgium, was permanently shut down after 40 years of operation, as stipulated by the nuclear exit law of 31 January 2003.
On 13 December 2023, ENGIE and the Belgian government signed an agreement on the 10-year extension of the operation of the Tihange 3 and Doel 4 nuclear power plants and the transfer of all nuclear waste obligations. Under this agreement, Doel 4 and Tihange 3 are owned by BE-NUC, a 50/50 joint venture between the Belgian state and ENGIE, since 14 March 2025.
On 14 February 2025, Doel 1 was permanently shut down after 50 years of operation, as stipulated by the Nuclear Exit Act of 31 January 2003.
On 15 May 2025, the House of Representatives gave its approval for the amendment of the Nuclear Exit Act of 31 January 2003. From now on, it will be called the 'Act on Nuclear Energy for Industrial Electricity Production'. The provision that no new nuclear power plants can be built has been removed. The closure dates of nuclear power plants have also been removed from the Act. This change in the law had no concrete impact on the planned shutdown of Tihange 1 and Doel 2 later that year.
Key figures
PWR (pressurized water reactor) type nuclear reactors, of which 1 is in operation and 3 are being decommissioned
total capacity
Electrabel employees and over +1000 external workers during outages
hectares of land
regulated controls and 50 audits per year
Features
| Doel 1 | Doel 2 | Doel 3 | Doel 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity (MW) | 445 | 445 | 1006 | 1026 |
| In service since | 15/02/1975 | 01/12/1975 | 01/10/1982 | 01/07/1985 |
| Planned closure date | 14/02/2025 | 30/11/2025 | 23/09/2022 | 31/10/2035 |
News about Doel
The nuclear power plants of Doel and Tihange attach great importance to the relationship with their surroundings. They have established consultation bodies to communicate with local representatives. Everyone who lives near the nuclear power plant of Doel, receives the community magazine Doelbewust.
View the news reports about Doel
Our nuclear professionalism explained
What is nuclear power? How is electricity produced in a nuclear power plant? How do the Belgian plants of Doel and Tihange work and what does their future look like? You can read all this in our brochure 'Nuclear professionalism, from start to finish'.
Environmental Declaration Doel
Sounding board council
Visit
