Unit 2 of the Beznau NPP in Switzerland has suffered an emergency shutdown, the cause of which is being investigated. Operator Axpo said the shutdown was due to a failed connection to the 220-kilovolt power grid.
The Beznau NPP (KKB – Kernkraftwerk Beznau), the oldest NPP in Switzerland, consists of two 365 MWe Westinghouse pressurised water reactors. The plant, located in Döttingen, Aargau, 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.
According to Axpo, the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) and other authorities have been informed in accordance with regulations. The shutdown caused non-radioactive water vapour to escape through the roof of the turbine house. However, the plant responded in accordance with procedures and was in a safe condition at all times, the Axpo statement noted.
The Swiss government is currently seeking end a ban on the construction of new NPPs to ensure all options are open for the future energy mix. Axpo has plans the closure of the Beznau reactors in 2032 (Beznau 2) and 2033 (Beznau 1).
Switzerland currently has four ageing nuclear reactors generating about a third of its electricity. In addition to the two-unit Beznau NPP, these include the single unit 985 MWe Gösgen NPP and the single unit 1,165 MWe Leibstadt NPP. They all have an unlimited operating licence and can be operated as long as they are safe. A fifth reactor, the 372 MWe the Mühleberg NPP, was closed in 2019 and is undergoing decommissioning.
