Switzerland has five nuclear power plants: Beznau I & II, Mühleberg, Gösgen and Leibstadt. In addition to the nuclear power plants, three research reactors are in operation: at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Würenlingen, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Lausanne and the University of Basel. And finally, the national central interim storage facility for radioactive waste (ZWILAG) and the Federal Government interim storage facility at Würenlingen are also monitored by ENSI.
Today, the Federal Office of the Environment, FOEN, published its study “Extreme Flooding of the River Aare”. Their findings also include a re-evaluation of the flood risk to nuclear installations located on the Aare.
The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) requires that the Beznau and Gösgen nuclear power plants check the quality and design of the forgings of the steam generators in respect of adherence to the material specifications.
On Monday, Axpo submitted the documents for characterisation and assessment of the findings in the base material of the Beznau 1 reactor pressure vessel. The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) will review these and decide whether Beznau 1 nuclear power plant will receive permission to restart.
The Swiss nuclear power plants use forgings for the safety-relevant main components with fully documented manufacturing and material quality certificates. This was confirmed by the operators in response to an enquiry made by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI).
Axpo submitted today a project plan (road map) to ENSI, the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate, outlining procedures for the characterisation and evaluation of the indications in the base material of the Beznau 1 reactor pressure vessel. ENSI will review this plan in collaboration with a group of international experts.
The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) requires the Beznau nuclear power plant to provide proof that the reactor pressure vessel is safe. In an interview, Georg Schwarz, the Director of the Division for Nuclear Power Plants and Deputy Director of the ENSI, explains the importance of carrying out an ultrasonic examination.
The operator Axpo was able to plausibly demonstrate to the ENSI that even if one were to assume that the reactor pressure vessel of Beznau 2 had similar material defects to those in Beznau 1, the safety operation of the reactor pressure vessel is still sufficiently guaranteed.
ENSI does not only grant approvals in the case of upgrading. Modifications to constructions, parts of installations, systems, equipment and documents that are classified as relevant for safety or technical security have to be approved by law – even in the case of decommissioning.
In 2008, general licence applications were submitted for three new nuclear power plants in Switzerland: the Mühleberg replacement nuclear power plant, the Beznau 1 & 2 replacement nuclear power plants, and a new construction project at Niederamt in the canton of Solothurn. For the purposes of the general licences, ENSI began by examining whether the […]
Development and Research Work in the Field of Radiation Measurement Technology: this project deals with the verification and calibration of dosimetry systems and radiation measurement instruments. On the one hand, importance attaches to personal dosimetry, i.e. the measurement of the outer and inner radiation exposure for people. This field also covers measurements of the release […]
