Nuclear power in Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Switzerland
has four nuclear power plants
, with five reactors in operation as of 2008. These plants produced 26.3 TWh
in 2007 (up 19.5% from 2005, when 22.0 TWh were produced). Nuclear power accounts for 39.9% of the total production of electricity (65.9 TWh) in the country; the rest was produced by hydroelectric plants
(55.2%) and conventional thermal or other plants (4.9%).
In addition, there are a certain number of research reactor
s in Switzerland, such as the CROCUS
reactor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
.
Switzerland uses nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes. Any project for the adoption of nuclear weapons was definitively dropped in 1988.
Switzerland has four nuclear power plants with five reactors in operation as of 2008:
, Switzerland lies at the junction of the Apulian
and Eurasian
tectonic plates
, and there are many active seismic areas under the mountains that show that stresses continue to be released along deep fault lines. The 1356 Basel earthquake
is the most significant seismological event
to have occurred in Central Europe
in recorded history and may have had a Mw magnitude
as strong as 7.1.
Between 2002 and 2004 a major study was conducted to assess the seismic
risk to Swiss nuclear power plants. The PEGASOS study, which cost around 10 million Swiss Franc
s (approximately $11 million) and which was conducted by 21 European experts with American involvement, concluded that the earthquake risk in Switzerland is twice as large as had been previously thought.
In 2011, following the nuclear emergencies
at Japan's Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant
and other nuclear facilities Swiss Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard
announced on 14 March a freeze in the authorisation procedures for three new nuclear power plants (see below: Politics), and ordered a safety review of the country's existing plants.
There is also ongoing concern in Switzerland over the seismic risks of the Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant
, located in France
approximately 40 km (24.9 mi) from the Swiss border. Following Fukushima the Swiss cantons
of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft and Jura
asked the French government to suspend the operation of Fessenheim while undertaking a safety review based on the lessons learned from Japan. On April 6 the Grand Council of Basel-Stadt
went further and voted for the plant to be closed.
there have been many referenda
on the topic of nuclear energy, beginning in 1979 with a citizens' initiative
for nuclear safety, which was rejected. In 1984, there was a vote on an initiative "for a future without further nuclear power stations" with the result being a 55 to 45% vote against. On September 23, 1990 Switzerland had two more referenda about nuclear power. The initiative "stop the construction of nuclear power stations," which proposed a ten-year moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants, was passed with 54.5% to 45.5%. The initiative for a phase-out was rejected with by 53% to 47.1%. In 2000 there was a vote on a Green Tax for support of solar energy. It was rejected by 67% to 31%.
On May 18, 2003, there were two referenda: "Electricity without Nuclear," asking for a decision on a nuclear power phase-out
, and "Moratorium Plus," for an extension of the earlier decided moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants. Both were turned down. The results were: Moratorium Plus: 41.6% Yes, 58.4% No; Electricity without Nuclear: 33.7% Yes, 66.3% No. The program of the "Electricity without Nuclear" petition was to shut down all nuclear power stations by 2033, starting with Unit 1 and 2 of Beznau nuclear power stations, Mühleberg in 2005, Gösgen in 2009, and Leibstadt in 2014. "Moratorium Plus" was for an extension of the moratorium for another 10 years, and additionally a condition to stop the present reactors after 40 years of operation. In order to extend the 40 years by 10 more years another referendum would have to be held (at high administrative costs). The rejection of the Moratorium Plus had come to surprise to many, as opinion polls before the referendum have showed acceptance. Reasons for the rejections in both cases were seen in the worsened economic situation.
On June 10, 2008, ATEL
submitted an application to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy for the construction of a new plant in the Niederamt region (SO
). A further two applications were to be presented by Axpo and BKW before the end of 2008.
In May 2011, the Swiss government decided to abandon plans to build new nuclear reactors. The country’s five existing reactors will be allowed to continue operating, but will not be replaced at the end of their life span. The last will go offline in 2034.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
has four nuclear power plants
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
, with five reactors in operation as of 2008. These plants produced 26.3 TWh
TWH
TWH or twh could refer to:*Tennessee Walking Horse, a breed of horse* Toronto Western Hospital, a hospital in Toronto, Canada* TWH Bus & Coach, a bus company in Romford, England* Terrawatt-hour, measure of electrical energy, 1012 watt-hours...
in 2007 (up 19.5% from 2005, when 22.0 TWh were produced). Nuclear power accounts for 39.9% of the total production of electricity (65.9 TWh) in the country; the rest was produced by hydroelectric plants
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
(55.2%) and conventional thermal or other plants (4.9%).
In addition, there are a certain number of research reactor
Research reactor
Research reactors are nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source. They are also called non-power reactors, in contrast to power reactors that are used for electricity production, heat generation, or maritime propulsion.-Purpose:...
s in Switzerland, such as the CROCUS
CROCUS
CROCUS is a research reactor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, sometimes described as zero power but in fact limited to 100 W....
reactor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government with the stated mission to:...
.
Switzerland uses nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes. Any project for the adoption of nuclear weapons was definitively dropped in 1988.
Power reactors
- BeznauBeznau Nuclear Power PlantThe Beznau Nuclear Power Plant is located in the municipality Döttingen on an artificial island in the Aar river...
1 (1969) and Beznau 2 (1972) (PWRPressurized water reactorPressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...
) - 365 MWe each - Plant safety (each unit): Double containment, large dry; 3 trains safety injection, high and low pressure; 3 trains emergency feedwater; part of these ECCS-systems in a bunkerised building; possibilities to connect external water sources - MühlebergMühleberg Nuclear Power PlantThe Mühleberg Nuclear Power Plant is located in the Mühleberg municipality in the north of the village of Mühleberg and near the hydroelectric plant...
(1972) (BWRBoiling water reactorThe boiling water reactor is a type of light water nuclear reactor used for the generation of electrical power. It is the second most common type of electricity-generating nuclear reactor after the pressurized water reactor , also a type of light water nuclear reactor...
) - 355 MWe - Plant safety: Double containment, pressure suppression (Torus, with water pool of 2200 m3); 4 trains Low pressure core spray; 4 trains RHR (Torus-cooling); 2 turbine-driven HP-systems; part of the ECCS-systems bunkerised; possibilities to connect external water sources - GösgenGoesgen Nuclear Power PlantThe Gösgen Nuclear Power Plant is located in the Däniken municipality on a loop of the Aar river. It is operated by the ad hoc society Kernkraftwerk Gösgen-Däniken AG.- Construction :The first discussions about the construction of the third Swiss nuclear power plant started in 1966...
(1979) (PWRPressurized water reactorPressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...
) - 970 MWe - Plant safety: Double containment, large dry; 4 trains for high and low pressure safety injection (50% each); 4 trains emergency feedwater (50% each); 2 additional trains emergency feedwater; part of these ECCS-systems bunkerised; possibilities to connect external water sources - LeibstadtLeibstadt Nuclear Power PlantThe Nuclear power station Leibstadt, abbreviated KKL, is in the municipality Leibstadt on the Rhine River close of the Aare delta and the German border...
(1984) (BWRBoiling water reactorThe boiling water reactor is a type of light water nuclear reactor used for the generation of electrical power. It is the second most common type of electricity-generating nuclear reactor after the pressurized water reactor , also a type of light water nuclear reactor...
) - 1165 MWe - Safety: Double containment (with additional Wet-Well), pressure suppression (water pool of 4000 m3); 4 trains (50% each) Low pressure injection (with 2 trains RHR), 2 diverse trains High pressure injection; 1 additional train with 2 pumps emergency injection (with 1 train RHR); nearly all the ECCS-systems bunkerised; possibility to connect external water sources.
Decommissioned reactors
- LucensLucens reactorThe Lucens reactor at Lucens, Vaud, Switzerland, was a small pilot nuclear reactor destroyed by an accident in 1969.In 1962 the construction of a Swiss-designed pilot nuclear power plant began. The heavy-water moderated, carbon dioxide gas-cooled, reactor was built in an underground cavern and...
(1968) (GCHWR) (46.692778°N 6.827500°E) - 6 MWe - A prototypical power reactor, heavy-waterHeavy waterHeavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
moderated and cooled by carbon dioxideCarbon dioxideCarbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
. Is has been shut down since 1969 after a partial core meltdown. The site has been decontaminated and decommissioned.
Research and teaching reactors
- SAPHIR - The reactors that became known as SAPHIR was a 10-100 kW-range swimming-pool reactor of demonstration brought to Switzerland by the U.S. delegation to the First Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy that took place in Geneva in August 1955. It has been the first reactor ever shown in operation to the public, worldwide. After the conference the reactor was purchased by the Swiss government on behalf of Reaktor AG, a consortium interested in the development of nuclear energy in Switzerland. The reactor was moved to Würenlingen on the location of the future Paul Scherrer Institut and received its name, SAPHIR, on May 17, 1957. (The name of the reactor was inspired by the color of the Cherenkov radiationCherenkov radiationCherenkov radiation is electromagnetic radiation emitted when a charged particle passes through a dielectric medium at a speed greater than the phase velocity of light in that medium...
which was visible when the reactor was in operation.) Operable until 1994 - DIORIT - A small heavy water reactorHeavy water reactorA pressurised heavy water reactor is a nuclear power reactor, commonly using unenriched natural uranium as its fuel, that uses heavy water as its coolant and moderator. The heavy water coolant is kept under pressure in order to raise its boiling point, allowing it to be heated to higher...
for research, operated 1960 to 1977 at former EIR Würenlingen. There was also, in the context of Cold War, the theoretical idea of producing weapons grade PlutoniumPlutoniumPlutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
in it, besides its research purpose. - Proteus - New research reactor of the 1990s at PSI Würenlingen.
- CROCUSCROCUSCROCUS is a research reactor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, sometimes described as zero power but in fact limited to 100 W....
(46.521238°N 6.570361°E) - CROCUS is a null-power (licensed to 100 W max power) LWR used for teaching at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneÉcole polytechnique fédérale de LausanneThe École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government with the stated mission to:...
(EPFL). CROCUS is a critical assembly, built in part from the elements of a dismantled subcritical assembly: Cactus. The name of the latter originated for the numerous instrumentation bars that came out of the core. CROCUS is another name in the XXXus series for nuclear installations at EPFL, e.g. the D-T nuclear fusion facility: Lotus.
Seismicity
Extending across the north and south side of the AlpsAlps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, Switzerland lies at the junction of the Apulian
Apulian Plate
The Adriatic or Apulian Plate is a small tectonic plate carrying primarily continental crust that broke away from the African plate along a large transform fault in the Cretaceous period. The name Adriatic Plate is usually used when referring to the northern part of the plate...
and Eurasian
Eurasian Plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia , with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Chersky Range in East Siberia...
tectonic plates
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
, and there are many active seismic areas under the mountains that show that stresses continue to be released along deep fault lines. The 1356 Basel earthquake
1356 Basel earthquake
The Basel earthquake of 18 October 1356 is the most significant seismological event to have occurred in Central Europe in recorded history and may have had a Mw magnitude as strong as 7.1....
is the most significant seismological event
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
to have occurred in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
in recorded history and may have had a Mw magnitude
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
as strong as 7.1.
Between 2002 and 2004 a major study was conducted to assess the seismic
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
risk to Swiss nuclear power plants. The PEGASOS study, which cost around 10 million Swiss Franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
s (approximately $11 million) and which was conducted by 21 European experts with American involvement, concluded that the earthquake risk in Switzerland is twice as large as had been previously thought.
In 2011, following the nuclear emergencies
Timeline of the Fukushima nuclear accidents
For the timelines of the nuclear accidents at Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, see:* Timeline of the Fukushima I nuclear accidents* Timeline of the Fukushima II nuclear accidents...
at Japan's Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant
Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant
The , also known as Fukushima Dai-ichi , is a disabled nuclear power plant located on a site in the towns of Okuma and Futaba in the Futaba District of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. First commissioned in 1971, the plant consists of six boiling water reactors...
and other nuclear facilities Swiss Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard
Doris Leuthard
Doris Leuthard is a Swiss politician and lawyer. Since 1 August 2006, she has been a member of the Swiss Federal Council. From 1 August 2006 till 31 October 2010 she was head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs...
announced on 14 March a freeze in the authorisation procedures for three new nuclear power plants (see below: Politics), and ordered a safety review of the country's existing plants.
There is also ongoing concern in Switzerland over the seismic risks of the Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant
Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant
The Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant is located in the Fessenheim commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France, north east of the Mulhouse urban area, within of the border with Germany, and approximately from Switzerland...
, located in France
Nuclear power in France
Nuclear power is the primary source of electric power in France. In 2004, 425.8 TWh out of the country's total production of 540.6 TWh of electricity was from nuclear power , the highest percentage in the world....
approximately 40 km (24.9 mi) from the Swiss border. Following Fukushima the Swiss cantons
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft and Jura
Canton of Jura
The Republic and Canton of the Jura , also known as the Canton of Jura or Canton Jura, is one of the cantons of Switzerland. It is the newest of the 26 Swiss cantons, located in the northwestern part of Switzerland. The capital is Delémont...
asked the French government to suspend the operation of Fessenheim while undertaking a safety review based on the lessons learned from Japan. On April 6 the Grand Council of Basel-Stadt
Grand Council of Basel-Stadt
The Grand Council of Basel-Stadt is the legislature of the canton of Basel-Stadt, in Switzerland. Basel-Stadt has a unicameral legislature. The Grand Council has 100 seats, with members elected every four years...
went further and voted for the plant to be closed.
Politics
In SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
there have been many referenda
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on the topic of nuclear energy, beginning in 1979 with a citizens' initiative
Initiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
for nuclear safety, which was rejected. In 1984, there was a vote on an initiative "for a future without further nuclear power stations" with the result being a 55 to 45% vote against. On September 23, 1990 Switzerland had two more referenda about nuclear power. The initiative "stop the construction of nuclear power stations," which proposed a ten-year moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants, was passed with 54.5% to 45.5%. The initiative for a phase-out was rejected with by 53% to 47.1%. In 2000 there was a vote on a Green Tax for support of solar energy. It was rejected by 67% to 31%.
On May 18, 2003, there were two referenda: "Electricity without Nuclear," asking for a decision on a nuclear power phase-out
Nuclear power phase-out
A nuclear power phase-out is the discontinuation of usage of nuclear power for energy production. Often initiated because of concerns about nuclear power, phase-outs usually include shutting down nuclear power plants and looking towards renewable energy and other fuels.Austria was the first country...
, and "Moratorium Plus," for an extension of the earlier decided moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants. Both were turned down. The results were: Moratorium Plus: 41.6% Yes, 58.4% No; Electricity without Nuclear: 33.7% Yes, 66.3% No. The program of the "Electricity without Nuclear" petition was to shut down all nuclear power stations by 2033, starting with Unit 1 and 2 of Beznau nuclear power stations, Mühleberg in 2005, Gösgen in 2009, and Leibstadt in 2014. "Moratorium Plus" was for an extension of the moratorium for another 10 years, and additionally a condition to stop the present reactors after 40 years of operation. In order to extend the 40 years by 10 more years another referendum would have to be held (at high administrative costs). The rejection of the Moratorium Plus had come to surprise to many, as opinion polls before the referendum have showed acceptance. Reasons for the rejections in both cases were seen in the worsened economic situation.
On June 10, 2008, ATEL
Atel
Aţel is a commune in Sibiu County, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Aţel and Dupuş. The commune first appears in written history in 1283 as villa Echelini. Later appearances in written documents are villa Heclini , Hetzelini villa and villa Eczlen , Ecczel , and Heczeldorf...
submitted an application to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy for the construction of a new plant in the Niederamt region (SO
Canton of Solothurn
Solothurn is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the northwest of Switzerland. The capital is Solothurn.-History:The territory of the canton comprises land acquired by the capital...
). A further two applications were to be presented by Axpo and BKW before the end of 2008.
In May 2011, the Swiss government decided to abandon plans to build new nuclear reactors. The country’s five existing reactors will be allowed to continue operating, but will not be replaced at the end of their life span. The last will go offline in 2034.
See also
- List of nuclear reactors - Switzerland
- Science and technology in SwitzerlandScience and technology in SwitzerlandScience and technology in Switzerland play an important role in economy as very few natural resources are available in the country. The Swiss National Science Foundation, mandated by the Federal government, is the most important institute promoting scientific research.The raw output of scientific...
- Energy in SwitzerlandEnergy in SwitzerlandThe energy economy in Switzerland developed as the rest of Europe, but with some delay until 1850. There are three different periods. The agrarian society until the mid-nineteenth century, a small scale energy economy based on wood and biomass , which was in general renewable energy...
External links
- Nuclear energy on the website of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE).
- Maps of nuclear power reactors: Switzerland.
- Preparing a seismic hazard model for Switzerland: The view from PEGASOS Expert Group 3.
- Faryal Mirza, Nuclear plants safe but waste management not. SwissinfoSwissinfoswissinfo is a nine-language news and information platform produced by SRG SSR, the Swiss public broadcasting corporation. Its content is Swiss-centred, with top priority given to in-depth information on politics, the economy, the arts, science, education and tourism. Switzerland's international...
, 24 April 2007. Last accessed 24 April 2007.