Swiss federal authorities

Events abroad

The Swiss Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) is interested in the events abroad. They learn how to act with the national Power Plants in case of a nuclear incident.

Directly after the accident in Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant on 11 March 2011, ENSI ordered immediate measures for a review of the safety of the Swiss nuclear power plants. In parallel, an interdisciplinary team of experts from ENSI (the “Japan Analysis Team”) reconstructed the events of the accident and subjected them to in-depth analysis.

News

  • News, Posts

    Situation in Ukraine

    Information on the current situation in Ukraine with links to the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA, Western European Nuclear Regulators Association WENRA, Federal Office of Public Health FOPH and Federal Office for Civil Protection FOCP.

  • News, Posts

    IAEA Fukushima Conference Identifies New International Recommendations for Action

    The international conference “A Decade of Progress after Fukushima Daiichi” was held in Vienna from 8 to 12 November 2021. Organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the event dealt with the lessons learned from the nuclear accident in an effort to further strengthen nuclear safety. Primarily, the discussions at the conference resulted in…

  • Background articles, News, Posts

    Ten Years on from Fukushima (4/6): The Consequences for Swiss Nuclear Power Plants and the Oversight Activities

    After the events in Fukushima Daiichi, ENSI ordered immediate actions and additional safety tests for the Swiss nuclear power plants. Moreover, from the accident analysis and the EU stress test, ENSI derived a need for action to improve nuclear safety in Switzerland: the “Fukushima Action Plan”.

  • Background articles, News, Posts

    New study on extreme flooding of the River Aare is also relevant for nuclear power plant sites

    Today, the Federal Office of the Environment, FOEN, published its study “Extreme Flooding of the River Aare”. Their findings also include a re-evaluation of the flood risk to nuclear installations located on the Aare. ENSI will now require those nuclear installations concerned to update their safety cases.

  • Background articles, Interviews, News, Posts

    Ten Years on from Fukushima (3/6): the EU Stress Test

    The tests at the time confirmed that, in international comparison, Swiss nuclear power plants have a high safety level. Despite these learnings, it is important to remain attentive at all times, to keep the proofs of safety up to date, to live a strong safety culture and to systematically analyse events.

  • News, Posts

    All Swiss nuclear power plants comply with the updated earthquake safety standards

    For the second time since the Fukushima accident in 2011, power plant operators have demonstrated that their plants are capable of withstanding an extremely rare, severe earthquake. The safety case for a flood caused by an earthquake has also been checked. The findings from the safety proofs generated in the aftermath of Fukushima have been…

  • News

    ENSI reviews Axpo’s project plan for the safety case of the Beznau 1 reactor pressure vessel

    Axpo submitted today a project plan (road map) to ENSI, the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate, outlining procedures for the characterisation and evaluation of the indications in the base material of the Beznau 1 reactor pressure vessel. ENSI will review this plan in collaboration with a group of international experts.

  • News

    “Only an ultrasonic examination is capable of providing authoritative information regarding the current condition of the reactor pressure vessel.”

    The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) requires the Beznau nuclear power plant to provide proof that the reactor pressure vessel is safe. In an interview, Georg Schwarz, the Director of the Division for Nuclear Power Plants and Deputy Director of ENSI, explains the importance of carrying out ultrasonic inspections.

  • News

    Beznau 2 can continue operating until the start of the annual overhaul in mid-August

    Block 2 of the Beznau nuclear power plant does not have to be shut down early. The operator Axpo was able to plausibly demonstrate to the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI that even if one were to assume that the reactor pressure vessel of Beznau 2 had similar material defects to those in Beznau…