- Nuclear plant in Europe to close by 2033
- Since the plant began operating, more than 2.5 billion francs have been invested in renewing and modernizing both units
Nuclear plant in Europe to close by 2033
Switzerland's Beznau nuclear power plant, one of the oldest in the world, will run until 2033, although environmentalists argue that it should be closed "immediately".
The energy company Axpo, which operates the plant in northern Switzerland, which began operating in 1969, said in a statement that it had decided to "ensure the operation of the Beznau nuclear power plant until 2033." When it is finally shut down, it will be 64 years old.
Switzerland has not set a maximum lifetime for nuclear power plants. The four plants currently in operation, which generate about a third of Switzerland's electricity, can operate for as long as they are deemed safe.
"Axpo said it had carried out a "detailed analysis" before setting the shutdown time for Beznau and that "safety was the top priority".
The company said it would keep one of the two units on the grid until 2032 and the other until 2033, adding that it planned to invest an additional €350 million in the plant and 350 million Swiss francs ($396 million) in it.
Since the plant began operating, more than 2.5 billion francs have been invested in renewing and modernizing both units
The Swiss Energy Foundation (SES) said setting the deadline is "logical." Swiss voters approved a law in June that will accelerate the development of renewable energy sources, with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
The country's Green Party hailed the planned closure as "an important step in Switzerland's final break with nuclear energy".
In 2017, Switzerland held a referendum on phasing out nuclear power by banning the construction of new power plants.
The law was the result of a long process following the 2011 tsunami accident at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant.
"Greenpeace, which has called on Axpo to close both Beznau reactors immediately, criticized the report. It warned that operating ageing plants is dangerous and argued that the rapid growth of renewable energy generation has made Beznau's output "redundant".
"Continuing to operate the world's oldest power plant is a risky and useless experiment," said Georg Klingler of Greenpeace Switzerland. - Beznau must be closed immediately."
Based on ELTA reports
