The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Swiss nuclear power plant shuts down reactor due to the heat

Beznau nuclear power plant shuts down one of its reactors due to the heat
Beznau nuclear power plant shuts down one of its reactors due to the heat Keystone-SDA

The Beznau nuclear power plant in the canton of Aargau has been partially disconnected from the grid due to the heat. One of the two reactors has been shut down, and the second unit is still running at an output of 50%.

+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox

The reason for the shutdown of one reactor unit on Tuesday is the high water temperature of the River Aare, as announced by the operator Axpo on Wednesday. The output of the two water-cooled reactors was already reduced by half last Sunday.

Until now, the Aare at the site of the nuclear power plant near Döttingen was still below 25 degrees, according to the press release. Axpo is complying with federal directives by throttling its nuclear power plant. The measure is intended to protect the flora and fauna in the river from excessive pollution.

+ Heatwave reduces nuclear power plant output by 50%

The order from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) was issued in the wake of the 2018 summer heatwave. The fact that the Beznau nuclear power plant has to reduce its output is due to its design.

Unlike the plants in Gösgen and Leibstadt, it does not have a cooling tower. Instead, the heat that cannot be used to generate electricity is cooled with water that is taken from the River Aare and later released slightly warmed up.

What is your opinion? Join the debate:

External Content

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

We select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools to translate them into English. A journalist then reviews the translation for clarity and accuracy before publication.  

Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. The news stories we select have been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team from news agencies such as Bloomberg or Keystone.

If you have any questions about how we work, write to us at english@swissinfo.ch

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Millionaires prioritise well-being over material possessions

More

High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions

This content was published on The priorities of wealthy private individuals have shifted against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes. While spending on luxury goods is declining, demand for travel and experiences is unabated.

Read more: High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions
Spanish flu: virus genome deciphered a century later

More

Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus

This content was published on Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich (UZH) have sequenced the genome of the Spanish flu virus, thanks to a sample taken from an 18-year-old Swiss boy who died in the city on the Limmat in 1918, when the pandemic spread around the world.

Read more: Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus
Three inmates attempt to escape from Sion prison

More

Prison escape foiled by Swiss police

This content was published on Three inmates attempted to escape from Sion prison on Sunday morning. Their capture required a major police operation.

Read more: Prison escape foiled by Swiss police
The start of the holiday season means long traffic jams on the Gotthard

More

Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season

This content was published on The start of the summer holidays saw a long traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. Traffic jams between Erstfeld and Göschenen in canton Uri were up to 11 kilometres long early in the morning.

Read more: Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR