Swiss energy utility Axpo Holdings plans to continue operating unit 2 of the Beznau NPP until 2032 and unit 1 until 2033 and will invest CHF350m ($395m) to this end. They will then be decommissioned and shut down.
The Beznau NPP (KKB – Kernkraftwerk Beznau), the oldest NPP in Switzerland, consists of two 365 MWe Westinghouse pressurised water reactors. The plant also supplies hot water to the regional district heating network in the lower Aare River valley. KKB 1 began commercial operation in 1969 and KKB 2 in 1972.
Earlier this year, Axpo said it had already invested more than CHF2.5bn to upgrade the two reactors since they were commissioned. There are no lifetime limits for NPPs in Switzerland and they may be operated for as long as they are deemed safe by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI – Eidgenössisches Nuklearsicherheitsinspektorat). At the end of 2011, ENSI reported that there was “potential for improvement” regarding the long-term operation of the Beznau plant and in 2018 issued a restart permit for unit 1 after a three-year verification period.
Further reading: Switzerland to extend use of nuclear; Switzerland to lift nuclear power ban
