Introduction

Switzerland has considerable hydroelectric power resources, but has no oil and gas reserves and depends, therefore, upon fuel imports. Around 52 % of its electricity is produced by hydro-electric plants and 43% is generated by nuclear power plants. In 1990, a ten-year moratorium on new plant construction was supported by 54.6% of the electorate during a national referendum. However in 2003, Swiss voters firmly rejected two anti-nuclear proposals to phase out nuclear power by 2014. In 2006, VSE - an alliance of all Swiss utilities - presented a study outlining possible scenarios for meeting growing energy consumption and for counteracting the loss of more than 1100 MWe from nuclear plants whose lifetimes are due to expire in about 2020. In February 2007, the Swiss government adopted a new energy policy strategy, which emphasises the necessity to replace existing units with new nuclear power plants to avoid a future “energy gap”. The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) gave on 15 November  2010 a positive assessment on the suitability of three sites for the construction of new nuclear power plants (NPPs). In 2008 and 2009, the operators Axpo, BKW and Alpiq had sent their license application to the Swiss federal Office of Energy to build a NPP near Gösgen, and replace two others at Beznau and Mühleberg. Following Fukushima, the government suspended the approval process for the construction of three new NPPs in order to review safety standards and on 25 May 2011, the government decided not to replace ageing nuclear reactors and to phase out nuclear by 2034. Options for the management of radioactive waste are being examined. In September 2005, NAGRA (National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste) issued a “proof of feasibility” for a deep geological storage facility, which was accepted by the Swiss government in 2006. Switzerland has set itself targets to reduce CO2 emissions by 10% below the 1990 level by 2010. According to Federal Government’s “energy perspectives until 2030”, this target will be easier if nuclear power is used to generate electricity.

Country Profile

Executive Summary

Switzerland has considerable hydroelectric power resources, but has no oil and gas reserves and depends, therefore, upon fuel imports. Around 52 % of its electricity is produced by hydro-electric plants and 43% is generated by nuclear power plants. In 1990, a ten-year moratorium on new plant construction was supported by 54.6% of the electorate during a national referendum. However in 2003, Swiss voters firmly rejected two anti-nuclear proposals to phase out nuclear power by 2014. In 2006, VSE - an alliance of all Swiss utilities - presented a study outlining possible scenarios for meeting growing energy consumption and for counteracting the loss of more than 1100 MWe from nuclear plants whose lifetimes are due to expire in about 2020. In February 2007, the Swiss government adopted a new energy policy strategy, which emphasises the necessity to replace existing units with new nuclear power plants to avoid a future “energy gap”. The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) gave on 15 November  2010 a positive assessment on the suitability of three sites for the construction of new nuclear power plants (NPPs). In 2008 and 2009, the operators Axpo, BKW and Alpiq had sent their license application to the Swiss federal Office of Energy to build a NPP near Gösgen, and replace two others at Beznau and Mühleberg. Following Fukushima, the government suspended the approval process for the construction of three new NPPs in order to review safety standards and on 25 May 2011, the government decided not to replace ageing nuclear reactors and to phase out nuclear by 2034. Options for the management of radioactive waste are being examined. In September 2005, NAGRA (National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste) issued a “proof of feasibility” for a deep geological storage facility, which was accepted by the Swiss government in 2006. Switzerland has set itself targets to reduce CO2 emissions by 10% below the 1990 level by 2010. According to Federal Government’s “energy perspectives until 2030”, this target will be easier if nuclear power is used to generate electricity.

Security of supply

Switzerland has considerable hydroelectric power resources, but has no oil and gas reserves and depends, therefore, upon imported energy. Around 52% of its electricity is produced by hydro-electric plants and 43% is generated by nuclear power plants. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. Switzerland’s electricity grid is part of the Union for the Coordination of Transmission of Electricity (UCTE). Since 2005, Switzerland has been importing electricity. Electricity consumption in Switzerland has been growing at about 2% per year since 1980. Four Swiss companies operate 5 power reactors at 4 sites. They generate a total net capacity of 3,220 MWe: NOK operates the Beznau -1 (power generation started in 1969) and Beznau - 2 (power generation started in 1971) units; BKW operates the Mühleberg site (power generation started in 1971), KKG Ltd. operates the Goesgen-Daeniken site (power generation started in 1979), KKL Ltd. operates the Leibstadt site (power generation started in 1984). An additional unit (with a proposed capacity of 950 MWe) was proposed at Kaiseraugst, near Basel, but this project was abandoned following anti-nuclear opposition, as was the Graben proposal (with a proposed capacity of 1140 MWe). A ten-year moratorium on new power plant construction was supported by 54.6% of the electorate during a national referendum that took place in 1990. In 2003, Swiss voters firmly rejected two anti-nuclear proposals that were originally put forward in 1998 and that recommended the phasing out of nuclear power by 2014. Two thirds of Swiss voters rejected the first proposal and 58% rejected the second, with practically all cantons refusing both. All Swiss reactors have been uprated. In 2006, VSE - an alliance of all Swiss utilities - presented a study outlining possible scenarios for meeting growing energy consumption and for counteracting the loss of more than 1100 MWe from nuclear plants whose lifetimes are due to expire around 2020. The study considers different scenarios building both gas power plants –and/or nuclear power plants, which could be operational by 2025. A report of the department of energy on energy perspectives up to 2035 shows that the country’s long-term energy supply is not secured. Switzerland could face an energy shortage by 2020 because of the eventual expiration of a number of long-term contracts for imported electricity supplies and because three of the country’s five reactor units are nearing the end of their lifetimes. In February 2007, the Swiss government adopted a new energy policy strategy, which emphasises the necessity to replace existing units with new nuclear power plants to avoid a future “energy gap”. 

The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) gave on 15 November a positive assessment on the suitability of three sites for the construction of new nuclear power plants (NPPs). In 2008 and 2009, the operators Axpo, BKW and Alpiq had sent their license application to the Swiss federal Office of Energy to build a NPP near Gösgen, and replace two others at Beznau and Mühleberg. The green light given by ENSI is a milestone towards new nuclear build in Switzerland. ENSI asked however for more information regarding the frequency and the magnitude of earthquakes. The three Swiss operators have indicated that they will provide the regulator with relevant information. The final decision on nuclear new build in the country is still a long way to go. Indeed cantons all over the country are empowered to give their opinion on the three submitted general license applications and have to send their contribution to the consultation by March 2011. In some Cantons the final decision must be taken through a referendum. The Federal Council should then grant the general license in summer 2012 and the Parliament will had to vote on it within one year. Following Fukushima, the government suspended the approval process for the construction of three new NPPs in order to review safety standards and on 25 May 2011, the government decided not to replace ageing nuclear reactors and to phase out nuclear by 2034.

Safety and Waste Management

The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) monitors and regulates both safety and radiological protection at nuclear installations. Civil liability for nuclear damage is covered by the 1983 Nuclear Energy Liability Act. Operators have unlimited liability, and they need to maintain CHF 1 billion insurance coverage. Switzerland has signed, but not ratified, the IAEA Vienna Convention and the OECD Paris and Brussels conventions. Swiss legislation is being revised in order to allow ratification of the recently-revised Paris and Brussels conventions. Switzerland’s policy is to reprocess spent fuel and utilise the separated plutonium in Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel. Reprocessing is done under contract with individual power plant operators. The operators in question are Cogema, at the La Hague facility in France and BNFL at Sellafield, in the UK. In Switzerland, according to the Nuclear Energy Act of 2003, producers of radioactive waste are responsible for its safe management and disposal in such a way that protects man and the environment. In 1972, the nuclear power plant operators and the Swiss Federal Government, which is responsible for waste arising from medicine, industry and research, founded NAGRA (National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste). In September 2005, NAGRA issued a “proof of feasibility” for a deep geological storage facility that was approved by the government on June 28, 2006. “Retrievability” is now part of the equation. The government has started drafting a procedure for agreement on the location of a site for deep geological storage: not only must neighbouring cantons be consulted, but also neighbouring countries. Zwilag, a centralised interim above-ground dry-storage facility for high-level waste, started operation in 2001, at Wuerenlingen. Since 1993, two smaller interim storage sites for low and medium-level waste have been in operation: at the Zwilag facility, at Beznau and at the BZL facility at the Paul Scherrer Institute, in Villigen. A Decommissioning Fund was set up in 1984 and power plant operators pay into it annually.

Climate Change

Swiss CO2 emissions legislation, which entered into force on 1 May 2000, is the basis for Swiss climate change policy. This legislation sets binding objectives for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. It aims to enable Switzerland to fulfil its international obligations, in accordance with the International Climate Change Convention. The goal of the CO2 legislation is to reduce CO2 emissions by 10% below the 1990 level by 2010. The report, Energy Perspectives for 2035, shows that CO2 emissions would increase by 4% up to 2035 if the current energy policy is continued.

Public Opinion

According to an opinion poll published in 2006 and conducted by Demoscope, a majority of Swiss consider that nuclear power plants are necessary for the energy supply of the country (70%).

You can find the report, “Energy Perspectives for 2035” at: http://www.bfe.admin.ch/themen/00526/00538/index.html?lang=en
You can have access to ENSI’s website at: http://www.ensi.ch
The Website address of NAGRA is: http://www.nagra.ch