The nuclear power plant on the Swiss island of Beznau – the oldest in Europe and one of the oldest in the world – will close in 2033. The Swiss energy group Axpo reported this in a statement on Thursday. Greenpeace demands immediate cessation of use.
In a 2017 referendum, Switzerland voted in favor of a law banning the construction of new nuclear power plants, which means the country will gradually move away from nuclear energy, which currently provides 29 percent of its energy. energy This action is the result of efforts made after the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan in March 2011.
They demand that 2 out of 5 power stations be closed
There are currently five nuclear power plants in Switzerland, which can continue to operate as long as there are no doubts about their safety. However, environmental protection organizations have been demanding the closure of the two Beznau reactors for years. The Axpo group reported that the Beznau 1 reactor, which has been connected to the grid since 1969, will shut down in 2033, and the Beznau 2 reactor, which has been generating electricity since 1971, will shut down a year earlier. Both reactors will then be decommissioned.
“Unnecessary and dangerous experience”
Axpo will invest 350 million Swiss francs to ensure the operation of this plant until 2033. Since its launch, the group has spent a total of more than 2.5 billion francs on improvements and upgrades. Greenpeace said in a statement that Beznau's “entire life” was an unnecessary and dangerous experience. According to the organization, the future belongs to energy from renewable sources, which reduces the risk to people and avoids “producing mountains of radioactive waste”.
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