Beznau Nuclear Power Plant

The nuclear power plant Beznau, abbreviated KKB, is in the municipality Döttingen (canton Aargau, Switzerland) on an artificial island in the Aare River. It is operated by the Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke AG (NOK).

It consists of two identical pressurized water reactors (Beznau 1 and 2), constructed by Westinghouse Electric, that have 365 MW each of electrical capacity. They are cooled with the water of the Aare River. In addition to that, the station produces approximately 5 TWh of energy per year for district heating of eleven surrounding municipalities.

Beznau 1 was the first commercial nuclear power plant in Switzerland. In 1957 the NOK began with planning for a new power station and in 1964 decided for the nuclear option. The construction period was notably short, four years, and in 1969 Beznau 1 started the commercial production. In 1972, after a construction period of five years, the identically constructed Beznau 2 went online. Technical staff is located in an office building on the opposite side of the Aare.

The nuclear power plant has an unlimited license for both reactors. The plant must however continue to fulfill the current legal and security requirements. The actual decommissioning date depends on the examination of security and economics of the plants.

Before end 2008 Axpo and BKW will submit to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy an application for the constructions of two new nuclear reactors that should replace Beznau 1-2 and Mühleberg once they will be decommissioned. These should be built on the same locations.

Security Measures

Numerous upgrades have been carried out to improve security since the commissioning of the two reactors. In the 1990s the steam generators and the control technology of the reactor protecting system have been replaced. The control rooms were adapted and new turbine controls were installed. Furthermore each reactor block was equipped with an emergency building. These contain more security systems for the emergency shutdown of the reactors and for the supply of the steam generators, a 50 kV emergency power line, and a diesel generator. In case of need these security systems are able to cool and shut down the power plant without human intervention. The concrete-steel housings and the reactor systems are heavily protected from external agents like earthquakes or plane crashes.

At the moment the most important security systems are: double containment, large dry; 3 trains safety injection, high and low pressure; 3 trains emergency feed water; part of these ECCS-systems in a bunkered building; possibilities to connect external water sources.

In 1993 a separate interim radwaste storage facility (ZWIBEZ) has been built on the Beznau area. It consists of a hall for low level operational waste and a hall for the dry storage of spent fuel.

Four new bunkered diesel generators will be installed within the next years. These will replace the adjacent Beznau hydraulic power plant in the production of the emergency power.

Nuclear Events

As for June, 2008 no operational events (INES level 2 or above) ever occurred.

Year	INES Level								Total
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2008	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
2007	7	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	8
2006	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
2005	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
2004	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
2003	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4
2002	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
2001	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
2000	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4
1999	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
1998	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
1997	6	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	7
1996	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	4
1995	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
Total	50	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	53

Chronology

The most important dates for the Beznau Nuclear Power Plant are:

December 12, 1964	Location authorization (Beznau 1)
November 2, 1965	Construction authorization (Beznau 1)
November 17, 1967	Location and first partial construction authorizations (Beznau 2)
May 12, 1969	Commissioning authorization (Beznau 1)
December 24, 1969	Commercial start (Beznau 1)
September 21, 1970	Second partial construction authorization (Beznau 2)
October 30, 1970	Unlimited operating license (Beznau 1)
July 16, 1971	Commissioning authorization and first temporary operating license (Beznau 2)
March 15, 1972	Commercial start (Beznau 2)
May 22, 1991	License for the interim radwaste storage facility ZWIBEZ
1993	Commissioning ZWIBEZ
December 3, 2004	Unlimited operating license (Beznau 2)

See also

• Nuclear Power in Switzerland

External links

• International Nuclear Safety Center - Beznau 1
• International Nuclear Safety Center - Beznau 2
• IAEA's Power Reactor Information System