(Bloomberg) -- Engie SA extended a maintenance halt at its Doel-4 nuclear reactor in Belgium after finding issues affecting the unit’s concrete dome.
The shutdown of the reactor has been extended by about a month until the end of November, a spokesman for the French utility said on Monday. Inspections found damage in the armored concrete of the outer containment building, and more checks are being carried out to reach conclusions on the matter, he said.
He declined to comment further on the duration of the halt or the potential financial implications for Engie.
The French company has already permanently shut down two out of its seven aging reactors in Belgium. Over the past decade, issues at the plants have hurt the utility’s finances and sparked fears of winter blackouts.
Engie agreed with the Belgian government last year to prolong the life of Doel-4 and another reactor for 10 years beyond 2025 to boost security of supply in the wake of the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, plus the effect of reactor halts in neighboring France.
The issue at Doel 4 was first reported by newspaper Le Soir.
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