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) at Würenlingen is also monitored by ENSI.
For the second time since the Fukushima accident in 2011, power plant operators have demonstrated that their plants are capable of withstanding an extremely rare, severe earthquake.
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.
While carrying out ultrasonic measurements of the reactor pressure vessel of the Beznau 1 nuclear power plant the operator detected flaw indications that require evaluation. It submitted a corresponding report to the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI yesterday.
The Swiss nuclear power plants (NPP) Beznau and Gösgen are required to perform standardized safety reviews of the base materials in their reactor pressure vessels to check for possible manufacturing flaws. Through this requirement, the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI is implementing a recommendation issued by the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA).
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 […]
Feasibility Study for Non-Destructive Measurements on the Steel Pressure Shell of the Primary Containment of Nuclear Power Plants: the primary circuit, including the reactor pressure vessel, is enclosed by a steel pressure shell as part of the defence-in-depth safety barriers. Depending on the structural design of the nuclear power plant, this is directly surrounded by […]
