Axpo had already suspended operation of the first unit on Tuesday. The company did the same on Wednesday evening with the second.
High temperatures in the River Aare, which supplies the power station in Döttingen with cooling water, had already forced the electricity company to halve the output of the two reactors, then to disconnect block 1 on Tuesday afternoon. Block 2 followed suit on Wednesday evening.
These measures comply with directives issued by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE). They have been taken in agreement with the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom), the Swiss Federal Institute for Nuclear Safety (ENSI) and the Swiss electricity grid operator Swissgrid, according to Axpo.
Axpo adds that the temporary shutdown of the Beznau power plant poses no threat to the security of the electricity supply or the safety of the Beznau reactors.
Protecting flora and fauna
The aim is to protect the flora and fauna of the river, which is currently suffering from the heatwave. Continued operation of the power plant would make the situation even worse. The water drawn from the Aare to cool the reactors is discharged back into the river slightly warmed up, even though the river is already over 25 degrees Celsius.
Unlike Gösgen and Leibstadt, Beznau has no cooling tower.
More
More
Could Switzerland build new nuclear power plants?
This content was published on
The Swiss government wants to end a ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants to ensure all options are open for the country’s future energy mix.
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
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
Has your continent reached its peak or is there still potential for economic growth?
Some regions of the world are on an upward trajectory with the promise of a steadily improving future. Where do you live? And in which direction is your region or continent developing?
Swiss hospitals urge faster recognition of foreign medical qualifications
This content was published on
Foreign doctors wishing to work in a Swiss hospital have to wait several months for their diplomas to be recognised, a situation the hospital association H+ calls 'untenable'.
Switzerland to introduce code of conduct for collecting referendum signatures
This content was published on
Commercial collectors of signatures for initiatives and referendums could be given a legally non-binding code of conduct. This proposal comes from the Federal Chancellery following the discovery of thousands of falsified signatures.
Priest in Switzerland accused of sexually assaulting minors
This content was published on
The trial of a priest accused of sexually abusing nine people opened on Thursday in the Ticino cantonal criminal court in Lugano, southern Switzerland.
Two out of three people in Switzerland use more than one language daily
This content was published on
Two out of three people in Switzerland regularly use several languages in their everyday lives, most often the country's national languages.
Destroyed Swiss village of Blatten to be rebuilt within four years
This content was published on
After the devastating landslide, Blatten in Valais should be standing again by 2029. Municipal president Matthias Bellwald confirmed the corresponding plans to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Wednesday, which he had presented at a municipal meeting the previous evening.
Lufthansa mulls importing its future Boeing aircraft via Switzerland
This content was published on
Buying new Boeing aircraft from the United States via Switzerland could reduce the US trade deficit with Switzerland and avoid punitive customs duties, says a newspaper report.
Swiss environment minister ‘hopeful’ plastic pollution treaty within reach
This content was published on
Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rösti said he's "hopeful until the end" that an ambitious agreement against plastic pollution can be negotiated by the end of the year.
Switzerland must pay more than originally planned for US F-35 fighter jets
This content was published on
Switzerland has been unable to push through a fixed-price deal (CHF6 billion) with the United States for 36 new F-35 fighter jets.
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.