Swiss cabinet goes for nuclear phase out

Humanize Asia
Swiss cabinet goes for nuclear phase out
25 May 2011

Nuclear development may be put on hold in Switzerland after a cabinet
decision not to allow replacement of existing reactors. If the policy
gets through parliament, the last nuclear energy could be generated in
the mid-2030s.

Beznau (Axpo)
Beznau
A decision was taken to review energy policy as a direct reaction to the
Fukushima nuclear crisis, said the cabinet, which decided that a
worsening of public opinion combined with an expected rise in commercial
costs of nuclear power would make it unviable for commercial operators
in future.

This came despite a February referendum that supported replacement
reactors, and a report this month from Switzerland's Federal Nuclear
Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) that found no immediate danger for Swiss
nuclear plants in light of the Fukushima accident. Being landlocked,
Switzerland is notably isolated from tsunami risk, and Swiss nuclear
operators were instead warned to prepare for the failure of nearby
hydroelectric dams.

On 23 March reports were ordered from the Federal Department of the
Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications on three future
scenarios: The early replacement of older nuclear plants to ensure
safety; the non-replacement of current plants; and the early
decommissioning of current units. Today the cabinet chose the second
option, aiming for the end of nuclear power generation in 2034, based on
50-year operating lives for the country's five reactors.

The move would be a total reversal of a 2007 energy policy that not
only focused on nuclear, energy efficiency and renewable sources but
also called for the operating nuclear units to be replaced in due course
with new ones. The country is anticipating an annual energy shortfall of
25-30 billion kWh by 2035 - around half the country's current generation
- thanks to rising consumption and the retirement of older power plants.

Nevertheless, the cabinet said today that this "gradual abandonment is
technically possible and bearable from an economic point of view" and
proposed to replace the 40% of electricity that comes from nuclear with
a program of energy efficiency, the expansion of hydro from its current
56% of supply and more fossil fuels "if necessary." To carry out this
restructuring would cost about 0.4-0.7% of the country's gross domestic
product, said the cabinet - about $1.28-2.25 billion.

The ambitous new policy remains to be submitted to parliament for
approval. "After the summer session, this strategy will be reworked in
light of parliamentary decisions."

Given operating lifespans of 50 years, the first Swiss reactor to shut
could be Beznau 1 in 2019, followed by Beznau 2 in 2021. Taken together
these smaller units would remove only 730 MWe from supply. Another 372
would be lost with the shutdown of Mühleberg around 2022. The largest
units are Gösgen with 985 MWe and Leibstadt with 1165 MWe, which would
likely close in 2029 and 2034 respectively. Swiss utilities have been
planning in recent years to build replacements for Beznau and Mühleberg
as well as a new unit at Niederamt.

Industry reaction

The utility Axpo said it 'deplores this fast, high-pressure political
decision' not based on 'carefully clarified, substantiated facts' such
as could come from participating the European Commission's stress tests.
Furthermore, it would lead to energy security problems as well as
'massive state intervention and high costs for citizens.'

Switzerland's largest utility, Alpiq, said it has 'taken note' of the
cabinet decision as the start of a process of policy debate that would
last several years and involve several referendums. It said it "the main
focus must be on energy security" and that "until voters have had their
say on the future of nuclear power - which is unlikely for several years
- it will no longer drive forward plans to build new nuclear power
stations."

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