Nuclear reactor shut down to fix pump fault
A reactor at the Beznau nuclear power plant has been temporarily shut down due to a technical problem.
The shutdown at the plant in northern Switzerland happened on Friday night and is expected to last for several days.
A problem arose with the shaft seal unit of the coolant pump at Beznau II, the operator Axpo said in a statement. It was shut down as a “preventative measure”.
Axpo said the reactor posed no danger to the public or the environment. The other reactor, Beznau I, is still operating. It is the oldest in the world.
Axpo told swissinfo.ch the faulty part was new and had been installed last year. Repairs will begin on Monday and once complete the reactor will be checked by the Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate.
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