Negative opinion for the nuclear waste storage center in Tihange

The Walloon administration of urban planning has given a negative opinion on the case of the new nuclear waste storage center in Tihange, confirmed Friday the office of the Regional Minister for Spatial Planning, Willy Borsus (MR), at the following an information published in the newspaper 'Free Belgium. Engie Electrabel, operator of the central hut, which had introduced the permit, took note of the decision and will analyze all the elements of this opinion to introduce a procedure of appeal, said a spokesman.

After being deactivated, the nuclear fuel is transferred to a temporary storage building. However, this building will reach saturation in 2022, both at the central Doel and Tihange.

Engie Electrabel filed an application for planning permission with the Walloon administration to build a new storage building. A public inquiry was conducted. Of the nine communes consulted, four gave an unfavorable opinion: Verlaine, Engis, Nandrin and Amay.

The reasons for the Walloon refusal were not yet known Friday. The public consultation had, however, revealed several grievances with regard to the project presented, says Ecolo, opponent of the project, in a statement: an over-sized warehouse (120 containers, twice the amount needed to store the irradiated uranium up to in 2025), uncertain over time (at least 80 years, well beyond the dismantling of the plant), as well as a lack of sufficient security against the risk of falling large aircraft.

Environmentalists Samuel Cogolati and Rodrigue Demeuse welcomed this information. "This shows that the mobilization of citizens and neighboring municipalities was heard by the Walloon Region and that it paid", they said in a statement.

Two procedures are currently under way, one before the Walloon Region for planning permission, the other at the federal level, where the competence of nuclear safety lies, with a view to obtaining a royal decree of authorization.

The project is important not only for the operation of the power stations but also for the dismantling of them, since by law, their activity will stop in 2025. A political decision is still awaited on the method of final disposal of these highly radioactive waste. There is talk of a burial at 200 meters in the clay soil of Mol but other scenarios are under study. Whatever the scenario, it will take decades to implement and, in the meantime, sufficient storage capacity will be required.