Swiss nuclear power station disconnected due to heat
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Swiss nuclear power station disconnected due to heat
Both reactors at Beznau nuclear power plant in Switzerland have been shut down due to the heat.
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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.
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Translated from French by DeepL/mga
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