Swiss Study Assesses Role of New Nuclear Power in Winter Supply Security
A recently highlighted Swiss energy system study evaluates new nuclear power as an option for long-term electricity supply and low-carbon transition. The study, commissioned by the Swiss Foundation for Technology Assessment (TA-SWISS), shows that under conditions such as timely commissioning, affordable costs and secured financing, new nuclear power plants can increase domestic low-carbon electricity supply, reduce import dependence, and complement renewable energy, grid and storage development. The study sets out three scenarios—open market, self-sufficiency and continuation of existing trends—to compare the impact of nuclear power on the energy system under different development pathways. In the open market scenario, without building new nuclear power plants, net electricity imports in the winter half-year in the longer term would be...
2026-11-06
Swiss Beznau Nuclear Power Plant Fully Resumes Operation After Shutdowns
Swiss energy company Axpo stated that the Beznau nuclear power plant, which had been temporarily shut down several times due to multiple heatwaves this summer, has now fully resumed operation. Located in northern Switzerland, the Beznau nuclear power plant uses water from the Aare River for cooling. Recently, many parts of Europe have experienced high temperatures, causing abnormally elevated water temperatures in the Aare River, which led to temporary shutdowns of the plant in June and July. The Aare River basin covers nearly half of Switzerland, with the river eventually flowing into the Rhine. Axpo stated that Unit 1 of the Beznau nuclear power plant resumed operation on August 21; Unit 2, after completing refueling and overhaul, was reconnected to the grid on Thursday and is currently gradually increasing output, expected to reach full power in approximately two days...
2026-08-29
Fuel assembly replacement launched at Unit 2 of Beznau Nuclear Power Plant
Swiss energy company Axpo launched fuel assembly replacement work at Unit 2 of the Beznau Nuclear Power Plant (KKB) on August 4, with the related outage expected to last approximately two weeks. As planned, plant technicians will replace 20 of the 121 fuel assemblies in the reactor core during the outage, while also carrying out routine inspections and system tests. More than 560 employees of the Beznau Nuclear Power Plant will be involved in the related work, supported by approximately 150 external experts on site. The fuel assembly replacement and related operations are supervised by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI). Previously, the relevant units at the Beznau Nuclear Power Plant had been shut down due to elevated water temperatures in the Aare River. According to available information,...
2026-08-05