Tihange nuclear power plant 2
Retired Belgium
Gross capacity
1,055MW
Tihange nuclear power plant 2 is a pressurised water reactor unit at Tihange nuclear power plant in Belgium rated at 1,055 MW gross. It is retired. Commercial operation began 1 Jun 1983.
Specification
| Reactor type | Pressurised water reactor (PWR) |
|---|---|
| Model | WH 3LP |
| Size class | Large |
| Coolant | Light water |
| Moderator | Light water |
| Gross capacity | 1,055MW |
| Net capacity (reference) | 1,008MW |
| Net capacity (design) | 900MW |
| Thermal output | 3,064MWt |
| Typical enrichment | 3–5% U-235 |
Ownership & location
| Site | Tihange nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Unit | 2 |
| Country | Belgium |
| Owner | Engie Electrabel100% |
| Operator | Engie Electrabel |
| Coordinates | 50.5334, 5.2714 |
Fuel chain for this unit
Fuel form
Uranium dioxide pellets in zirconium-alloy cladding
Enrichment
3–5% U-235
Who makes this assembly
- China National Nuclear Corporation PWR fuel assemblies
- ENUSA Industrias Avanzadas PWR and BWR fuel assemblies
- Framatome PWR fuel assemblies
- KEPCO Nuclear Fuel PWR fuel assemblies
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries PWR fuel assemblies
- Westinghouse Electric Company PWR fuel assemblies
Upstream
Enriched fuel means this unit sits downstream of five conversion plants and four enrichment operators holding 88% of world capacity between the top three.
Fabricator capability is recorded against reactor type and model line, not against named units —
utilities do not publish fuel contracts. See the fuel chain.
Timeline
- 1 Apr 1976Construction start
- 5 Oct 1982First criticality
- 13 Oct 1982Grid connection
- 1 Jun 1983Commercial operation
- 1 Feb 2023Permanent shutdown
Other units at Tihange nuclear power plant
| Unit | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|
| Tihange nuclear power plant 1 | Retired | 1,009 |
| Tihange nuclear power plant 3 | 1,089 |
Other WH 3LP units
12 units worldwide share this model designation.
| Unit | Country | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almaraz nuclear power plant 1 | Spain | 1,049 | |
| Almaraz nuclear power plant 2 | Spain | 1,044 | |
| Ascó nuclear power plant 1 | Spain | 1,033 | |
| Ascó nuclear power plant 2 | Spain | 1,027 | |
| Doel nuclear power plant 4 | Belgium | 1,090 | |
| Ringhals nuclear power plant 3 | Sweden | 1,117 | |
| Ringhals nuclear power plant 4 | Sweden | 1,171 | |
| Tihange nuclear power plant 3 | Belgium | 1,089 | |
| Vandellos nuclear power plant 2 | Spain | 1,087 | |
| Doel nuclear power plant 3 | Belgium | Retired | 1,056 |
| Ringhals nuclear power plant 2 | Sweden | Retired | 963 |
Sources
- Global Nuclear Power Tracker, Global Energy Monitor, August 2026 release — CC BY 4.0 · retrieved 2026-09-06 · this unit last researched by GEM on 2024-05-08
- GEM.wiki entry (further reading) — CC BY-SA 4.0 — linked, not quoted