The Swiss government wants to reverse the nuclear phase-out. It was said that the ban on building new nuclear power plants could be reversed. There are currently four nuclear power plants in operation in Switzerland, and the Beznau plants are among the oldest in the world.
They were put into use in 1969 and 1971. Operator Axpo announced at the beginning of December that blocks 2032 and 2033 would be disabled. There are also two systems in use in Leibstadt and Däniken. In 2019, a fifth nuclear power plant in Mühleberg was closed.
After the reactor accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant Fukushima (2011), the Swiss voted in a referendum (2017) to phase out nuclear energy. Current power stations must continue to operate as long as they are safe, but new construction is completely prohibited. Now the government has proposed to reverse this ban.
The Greens announced resistance
She states that circumstances have changed since the vote. The seven-member Federal Council cited as an example the Russian war against Ukraine and the subsequent disruptions in Russian gas supplies. Nevertheless, the expansion of renewable energy sources remains a priority. Buildings, systems and equipment must become more energy efficient.
There are currently no new construction projects. An initiative aims to ensure that nuclear energy is allowed again through a referendum. However, the Greens announced resistance: “Nuclear energy has no future, our future is renewable energy,” said party leader Lisa Mazzone.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
