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Ten Years on from Fukushima

After the accident in Japan, our initial analyses showed that Fukushima did not fundamentally call into question the safety of Swiss nuclear power plants, that safety was guaranteed and that continued operation was responsible. We set to work to analyse the accident in greater depth. With our web series, we want to make a contribution to informing everyone who is interested in the facts of the disaster. In a concise form and in comprehensible language, we will not only shed light on the accident, but also show how we analysed it and used the knowledge gained to improve the safety of Swiss nuclear power plants.

Posts

  • Background articles, Comments, Posts

    Ten Years on from Fukushima (6/6): Conclusions

    The disastrous accident in Fukushima Daiichi occurred exactly ten years ago, on 11 March 2011. In the last few weeks, our article serie has highlighted the causes, the sequence and the effects, as well as describing the conclusions that we have been able to draw from the accident.

    ENSI, ENSI as regulatory body, International, Ten Years on from Fukushima
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  • Background articles, Comments, Posts

    Ten years on from Fukushima, the ENSI Board still holds that safety has priority over political or economic interests

    Where there are conflicts of interest between politics, safety and profitability, safety must always take priority. This is one of the most important lessons learnt from the Fukushima nuclear accident.

    ENSI, ENSI as regulatory body, ENSI Board, International, Ten Years on from Fukushima
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  • Background articles, Posts

    ‘Switzerland is regarded as very reliable in nuclear matters’ – a commentary by former Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard

    At the time of the fateful accident in Fukushima, Doris Leuthard was head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the nuclear disaster, the former Federal Councillor explains why it was essential to provide political support for nuclear safety after the accident.

    ENSI, International, International Affairs, Ten Years on from Fukushima
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  • IAEA Building in Vienna
    Background articles, Posts

    Ten Years on from Fukushima (5/6): Switzerland’s International Position

    After the accident at Fukushima, there was an increasing demand for international safety standards and their international monitoring. Switzerland, and in particular ENSI, was committed to mandatory backfitting on a global basis. Even if such safety principles are still not legally binding, the reactor accident acted as a booster for a new safety awareness amongst…

    ENSI, International, International Affairs, Ten Years on from Fukushima
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  • 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”.

    ENSI, Fukushima, Fukushima Action Plan, International, Ten Years on from Fukushima
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  • 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.

    ENSI, EU Stress Test, Fukushima, International, Ten Years on from Fukushima
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  • Background articles, Interviews

    What Oskar Grözinger learned from his international reviews

    Oskar Grözinger has spent most of his working life in nuclear regulation. During the EU stress test, the physicist was deputy chairman of the “Topic 1 – External Influences” division.

    ENSI, EU Stress Test, International, Ten Years on from Fukushima
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  • Background articles, Interviews

    How Nils Cordua companioned the EU stress test at ENSI

    Nils Cordua was the project leader at ENSI during the EU stress test in Switzerland. He has been working at ENSI since 2010 and is now a specialist in systems engineering.

    ENSI, EU Stress Test, International, Ten Years on from Fukushima
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  • Background articles, Interviews

    How Jukka Laaksonen initiated the EU stress tests

    Jukka Laaksonen was Chairman of the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) and Director General of the finnish nuclear safety authority Säteilyturvakeskuksen (STUK) when the events in Fukushima took place. He has held nuclear safety expert positions within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European…

    ENSI, EU Stress Test, International, Ten Years on from Fukushima
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  • Background articles, Posts

    Ten Years on from Fukushima (2/6): The radiological effects of the accident

    After the nuclear accident in Fukushima Daiichi, extrapolations revealed that about one-eighth of the amount of radioactivity that escaped at Chernobyl was released into the surrounding area. The maximum estimated radiation dose for the population was 7.5 millisievert. However, various studies revealed that mental problems in the aftermath of the accident had a greater impact…

    ENSI, Fukushima, International, Ten Years on from Fukushima
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  • Background articles, Posts

    Ten Years on from Fukushima (1/6): The lead-up to the 2011 Disaster

    After Chernobyl, the Fukushima accident of 11 March 2011 is history’s most serious reactor accident. An expert team from ENSI carried out an in-depth analysis of the circumstances leading up to the disaster. As a result, ENSI was able to derive important conclusions both for its own regulatory role and for the safety of Swiss…

    ENSI, Fukushima, International, Ten Years on from Fukushima
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