The Beznau nuclear plant in canton Aargau is Switzerland's oldest.
Keystone
Reactor block 1 at Beznau nuclear power plant can restart after a three-year shutdown for repairs, the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate said on Tuesday.
This content was published on
1 minute
SDA-ATS/jc
Español
es
El reactor más viejo del mundo, de nuevo operativo
Built in 1969, the Beznau facility in canton Aargau is the world’s oldest commercial nuclear power plant still in operation. It has been out of service since March 2015, when anomalies were found in its steam generator.
The safety authorities now say the reactor presents no security risk.
Following the announcement, utility company Axpo said it hoped to have the reactor fully up and running again by the end of March. But there was immediate protest from environmental groups who called this “absolutely irresponsible”.
Beznau is one of two reactors that were shut down to check the quality of steel components used in their steam generators. The Beznau II reactor was built in 1971.
Switzerland has five nuclear power reactors which generate about 34.5% of the nation’s energy needs. It uses nuclear energy to produce electricity, in research and medicine.
In May 2017, Swiss voters endorsed a new energy law that aims to promote renewable energy by banning new nuclear power plants and reducing energy consumption.
The Mühleberg nuclear plant near Bern, built in 1972, will shut down in 2019, according to the power station operators.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Swiss price watchdog negotiates lower fees for card payments
This content was published on
Small businesses in Switzerland will have to pay fewer fees for cashless payments from customers over the next few years.
Lakes in Central Switzerland have best water quality for bathing
This content was published on
Anyone who swims in a lake in Central Switzerland need have no fear of infection from intestinal bacteria. The water samples taken at 65 bathing sites in 13 lakes all have good to excellent bathing water quality.
This content was published on
Unknown assailants have stolen a historic ring from a Basel museum. The stolen item was a gift from Russian Tsar Alexander I to his host in Basel in 1814.
More May hotel guests in Basel than at any time in past 90 years
This content was published on
Basel hotels recorded 150,854 overnight stays for the Eurovision Song Contest in May. This corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 8.4%.
Demand remains high for rental flats in Switzerland
This content was published on
More rental flats are once again being advertised on property portals in Switzerland. However, demand also remains very high.
One in five Europeans exposed to too much traffic noise
This content was published on
More than one in five Europeans are exposed to unhealthily high levels of traffic noise, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).
New living space through densification often comes at expense of the poor
This content was published on
If demolition and new construction are carried out and tenants have to make way, low-income households are affected more often than average.
This content was published on
The ceasefire in the Iran-Israel war has visibly eased tensions on the financial markets. The SMI, Switzerland's leading stock market index, has risen above the 12,000 point mark again.
This content was published on
The agency running the canton Bern plant told Swiss public television that it wants to have the treatment facility up and running by 2025, and treating the radioactive waste for the following 30 years. But a spokesperson would not reveal how much it would cost, how big it would be or where it will be…
Swiss give green light for renewables and nuclear phase out
This content was published on
Voters have approved a new energy law that aims to promote renewable energy, ban new nuclear power plants and lower energy consumption.
This content was published on
Ahead of a vote calling for 45 year limits to nuclear power plants, we look at what dismantling a nuclear power plant involves.
This content was published on
Banning construction of nuclear power plants and limiting to 45 years the use of existing ones: that's an issue before Swiss voters in November.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.