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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.
Nuclear Facilities
Switzerland has the following nuclear power plants: Beznau (units 1 and 2), Gösgen and Leibstadt. Also in operation is a research reactor at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). The Central Interim Storage Facility for radioactive waste (Zwilag) and the Federal Government’s Interim Storage Facility in Würenlingen are also monitored by ENSI.
The no longer operational Mühleberg Nuclear Power Plant is being decommissioned. Three research reactors at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI in Würenlingen have nearly been fully dismantled.
- NPP Beznau
Beznau NPP comprises two largely identical two-loop pressurised water reactor units, which began commercial operation in 1969 and 1972 respectively. The net electrical output per unit is 365 MW. - NPP Gösgen
Gösgen NPP is a three-loop pressurised water reactor system. It began commercial operation in 1979. The net electrical output is 1010 MW. - NPP Leibstadt
Leibstadt NPP is a boiling water reactor that began commercial operation in 1984. The net electrical output is 1233 MW. - Former Mühleberg Nuclear Power Plant (permanent shutdown)
Mühleberg NPP, which began commercial operation in 1972 and shut down in 2019, was a boiling water reactor with a net electrical output of 373 MW. Mühleberg NPP ceased power operations on 20 December 2019. In 2020, all fuel elements were transferred from the reactor pressure vessel to the fuel pond and the necessary measures implemented to establish safe technical post-operation. In 2022 and 2023, during decommissioning phase 1, Mühleberg NPP transported all its fuel elements to the Central Interim Storage Facility of Zwilag in Würenlingen, completing the first decommissioning phase in 2023. Since then, Mühleberg NPP has been in decommissioning phase 2.
Decommissioning of the following plants has been completed:
- Lucens experimental nuclear power plant
- Basel University Research Reactor
Up until its final shutdown in 2015, the research reactor of Basel University was used to teach students and for neutron activation analysis. After the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) had ordered the decommissioning of the research reactor on 13 February 2019, ENSI approved the dismantling of the plant. Dismantling was completed in 2019. With the removal of the plant from federal government oversight, the first decommissioning project in Switzerland under the current nuclear energy legislation was completed.
