Nuclear Shutdowns Put Belgians and Britons on Blackout Alert

Nuclear Shutdowns Put Belgians and Britons on Blackout Alert

Suspected sabotage at three Belgian nuclear reactors—which is still under investigation—has triggered plans for rolling blackouts in the nation this winter. The detailed power rationing plans, which were released this past Friday, support the argument that Belgium may have put too many eggs in too few baskets. Just a few failures, whether deliberate or otherwise, have had a devastating impact on power supplies. Meanwhile, the discovery of similar problems at a reactor in the United Kingdom in August led EDF Energy to shut it and three others like it down. With four reactors suddenly out of service, U.K. grid operator National Grid has begun seeking emergency power supplies for the winter. http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/nuclear/nuclear-vulnerability-sends-belgians-scrambling-for-winter-power-supplies/?utm_source=energywise&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=092414