It is now certain that the Beznau nuclear power plant will be decommissioned in 2033. Some six terawatt hours of electricity will no longer be injected into the network, which corresponds approximately to the consumption of 1.3 million households in four people. Let us recall in passing that the other Swiss nuclear power plants will not produce electricity ad vitam eternam either.
The closure of Beznau is a warning shot for Swiss energy policy: one of its pillars is collapsing. To compensate for the production of the two reactors with solar electricity during the January trough, the total production capacity of existing solar installations would have to be more than doubled (+150%). It would also be necessary to develop storage capacities to conserve the electricity produced during the day, for a power equivalent to that of all existing pumped storage power plants in Switzerland.
If we consider the winter as a whole, the challenge remains significant. Thus, to compensate Beznau, it would take some 770 wind turbines or 48 wind farms the size of that of Mont-Crosin or 1160 large solar power plants like the Cornaux solar park.
Switzerland must massively develop its electricity production, and quickly. It must at least double by 2050. Without safe, clean and competitive electricity, Switzerland cannot ensure its prosperity or achieve its climate objectives. As the Beznau example shows, existing nuclear power plants will not provide energy forever. It is now a matter of unblocking energy policy and making courageous decisions. Here’s what that entails:
- We need an electricity agreement with the EU. According to an ETH study, such an agreement would reduce the costs of developing production capacities by up to 50 billion francs.
- Winter-efficient renewable energies, particularly wind and hydropower, as well as alpine solar installations close to existing infrastructure, must be rapidly developed.
- Technological openness: New nuclear power plants are also an important option for developing climate-neutral electricity production capacities. It is worth examining it in depth, especially since technology has evolved significantly. Switzerland needs alternatives if current plans do not materialize quickly enough.
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