Switzerland’s five nuclear power stations can cope with the kind of severe flooding that only occurs about once every 10,000 years.
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That is the verdict, announced on Wednesday, of the Federal Nuclear Safety Commission after a thorough inspection of the power plant operators.
But one of the five, Mühleberg, near Bern, may only go back to the grid once it has completed retrofit measures involving the cooling system, which uses water from the River Aare.
The nuclear power plants Beznau I and II, Leibstadt and Gösgen have already provided sufficient proof of their ability to withstand extreme flooding.
By the end of March 2012, the plant operators must also demonstrate that they can survive major earthquakes as well as any earthquake caused by the rupture of a dam.
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Energy Minister Doris Leuthard said the country’s five nuclear power stations would not be replaced when they reach the end of their lifespan. The government’s recommendation on Wednesday will now be discussed by parliament at the beginning of June and a final decision is expected in the middle of June. Leuthard said the government was going on…
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Every year the plant is subject to a thorough overhaul. The Axpo company wants to keep Beznau 1 running until at least 2023 and to take it off the grid once Beznau 3 is operational. (Pictures: Thomas Kern, swissinfo.ch)
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