Tuesday , May 30 2023

German expert warns: "Tihange 1 nuclear power plant is old and dangerous"



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The tight 1 nuclear power plant is "outdated" and its continued operation "is extremely dangerous," said German expert on nuclear energy, Manfred Mertin, at the European Parliament press conference.

Although the Federal Nuclear Agency (FANC) gave green light last week to reopen the upcoming Tihange 1, Professor Mertin emphasized many of the security features that this device could present.

At the green request of the European Commission, he first stressed that international security and safety requirements were not met.

"Tihange 1 is one of the oldest power plants in the world and has been developed based on security principles in the early 1970's," Mertens said. "The incidents that have occurred since then on the Three Mayan Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima have shown that there is a need to increase demands in this area," he continued, regretting the many shortcomings he noticed at that time. Belgian power plant.

In his opinion, the rapid increase in unforeseen events in Tihange 1 indicates an aging object that he describes as "completely wrong" leadership.

In addition to the dangers associated with site design, the expert adds that the Tihange 1 only has a "limited" basic protection against external hazards such as floods, earthquakes, or even potential crashes. bright.

The expert, who only looked at the technical aspects, could not indicate the costs associated with restoring the plant's compliance. In his opinion, "it's almost impossible to eliminate all the problems identified, taking into account the age of Tihange 1".

Mr Mertin's report will be handed over to the FANC and the competent authorities in Belgium, but also to neighboring countries, said Green MEP Rebecca Harms. "After the end of the term, I want to draw public attention to the risk of old reactors in Belgium," she said.

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