A new nuclear power plant in Switzerland? Not before 2050

The construction of nuclear power plants is currently prohibited in Switzerland (illustration image).Image: Shutterstock

A study by Swiss Academies in Sciences has looked at the option of building a new power plant if the prohibition provided for by law was lifted. This could not see the light of day before 2050.

If the prohibition to build new nuclear power plants was lifted in Switzerland, a new site could only be connected to the network in 2050 at the earliest, only with the support of the State. This is the conclusion of a study by Swiss Academies of Sciences (SCNAT).

The construction of new nuclear power plants is in tune with the times. Also in Switzerland, the popular Blackout popular initiative (electricity for everyone at all times) and the indirect counter-project of the Federal Council set the milestones to keep the opportunity to resort to the long-term atom, said before the URS Neu press, director of the SCNAT Energy Commission.

The new report, published on Tuesday, must serve as a basis for this discussion within political circles and society, according to the expert. The researchers did not want to draw a conclusion.

Lots of uncertainties

According to the report, it would take at least eight years for the construction of a new nuclear power plant. The construction would therefore be significantly faster than that of the last power plants built in Europe, in Olkiluoto (Finland) and Flamanville (France), whose work has lasted more than 16 years.

Before that, there is a complex political process with at least seven stages; Either the decision on the Stop to Blackout initiative or the indirect counter-project, probably a law on subsidies, the investor project, general authorizations, construction and exploitation.

Overall, researchers believe that this process would last at least until 2050, provided that all decisions taken are positive for a new construction.

This project could fail at various times – for example if the popular initiative or the counter -project are not accepted or if oppositions are formulated against the building permit. “Each decision will be accompanied by uncertainties at all levels, political, economic and technical,” said Jochen Markard of ETH Zurich.

Strong public investment

A new power plant will not be able to be done without state subsidies, added Regina Betz, researcher from the Haute Ecole Zurichoise de Sciences Applied (Zhaw). Around the world, all the new nuclear power plants built today are supported by the State in different ways.

The operating costs of a nuclear power plant are generally low. But its construction is linked to high investment costs encrypted in billions of francs. At the same time, revenues on a liberalized electricity market and dominated in the future by renewable energies are not clear, especially in summer.

There are also other unknowns, such as that of knowing how long the nuclear power plants can be exploited or the process relating to the electricity agreement with the EU which could lead to one or more popular votes.

Obvious advantages

According to the researchers, the advantages of nuclear energy are obvious: the atom offers electricity poor in CO2, takes up little space and equipment per kilowatt hour produces and provides energy regardless of weather conditions, summer and winter. Serious accidents can cause significant damage, but they are very improbable, according to experts.

Currently, large nuclear power plants from generation III are under construction worldwide. Switzerland could have a model of this type for an investment decision by the mid -2030s. These power stations are 10 to 100 times safer than current power plants, Andreas Pautz of the Paul Scherrer and EPFL said.

The small individual modular reactors, called SMR (Small Modular Reactors) of generation III, will probably be available from the first half of the 2030s. But even if this was happening in the coming years, we would probably not have solid conclusions on the profitability of these facilities before 2035, explained Andreas Pautz. As for 4th generation reactors, there are still great uncertainties in terms of technology and profitability. (JZS/ATS)

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