Doel Nuclear Power Station | |
---|---|
Doel nuclear power station, viewed from the north
|
|
The plant sits on the west bank of the Scheldt river
|
|
Official name | Kerncentrale Doel (KCD) |
Country | Belgium |
Location | Doel, East Flanders |
Coordinates | 51°19′29″N 04°15′31″E / 51.32472°N 4.25861°ECoordinates: 51°19′29″N 04°15′31″E / 51.32472°N 4.25861°E |
Status | Operational |
Construction began | July 1969 | (Doel 1)
Commission date | February 15, 1975 | (Doel 1)
Owner(s) | Engie Electrabel, EDF Luminus |
Operator(s) | Engie Electrabel |
Nuclear power station | |
Reactor type | PWR |
Reactor supplier | ACECOWEN FRAMACEC |
Fuel type | UO2, MOX |
Fuel supplier | Areva, ENUSA |
Cooling source | Scheldt river |
Cooling towers | 2 |
Power generation | |
Units operational | 2 x 454 MW 1 x 1056 MW 1 x 1090 MW |
Units under const. | 0 |
Units planned | 0 |
Units cancelled | 1 |
Units decommissioned | 0 |
Thermal capacity | 2 × 1312 MWt 1 × 3056 MWt 1 × 3000 MWt |
Nameplate capacity | 3054 MWe |
Capacity factor | 89,4% |
2011 output | 22,789 GW·h |
Website Doel nuclear power plant |
The Doel Nuclear Power Station is one of two nuclear power plants in Belgium. The plant is located on the bank of the Scheldt river, near the village of Doel in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The station is operated and majority-owned by vertically-integrated Belgian energy corporation Electrabel. EDF Luminus has a 10% stake in the two newest units. It employs 963 workers and covers an area of 80 hectares (200 acres). The plant represents about 15% of Belgium's total electricity production capacity. Nuclear energy typically provides half of Belgium's domestically-generated electricity and is the country's lowest-cost source of power.
The station is located in the most densely populated area for any power station in Europe, with 9 million inhabitants within a radius of 75 kilometres (47 mi).
The powerstation was built by a public utility Ebes which merged into Electrabel in 1990 together with Intercom and Unerg. The design of the plant was made by the Belgian engineering firm Tractebel. Doel 1 and 2 are twin units that entered commercial operation in 1975. Doel 3 entered commercial operation in 1982 and Doel 4 in 1985. Doel 1, 2 and 4 were delivered by the ACECOWEN (ACEC-Cockerill-Westinghouse) consortium. While Doel 3 was delivered by FRAMACEC (Framatome-ACEC-Cockerill).
Earthworks for Doel 5, a 1400MW reactor also known as N8 (8th nuclear reactor in Belgium), were stopped in 1988. The participation in the French twin plant in Chooz however was continued. The French industry was reimbursed for the already ordered components.