Federal Council sees scope for extending the operating life of nuclear power stations
Extending the operating life of the Gösgen and Leibstadt nuclear power stations to 80 years is technically feasible and, in the most likely scenarios, economically viable as well. This is shown in a report adopted by the Federal Council. The retrofitting work would cost between 0.7 and 1.2 billion Swiss francs.
On 13 May, the Federal Council approved a report on extending the operating life of the Gösgen and Leibstadt nuclear power stations to 80 years. According to a press release, the report concludes that such long-term operation is technically feasible and would also be economically viable in the most likely scenarios. Financial support for long-term operation is therefore not necessary from today’s perspective. The Federal Council’s report is based on a study by Frontier Economics, headquartered in London, and Siempelkamp NS in Alzenau, Bavaria.
The four nuclear power plants currently operating in Switzerland cover around 30 per cent of electricity consumption, but 36 per cent of consumption in winter. Axpo, as the owner and operator, intends to take the two Beznau 1 and 2 nuclear power plants off the grid in 2032 and 2033. According to the Federal Council’s report, however, the operating life of the Gösgen and Leibstadt nuclear power plants could be extended to 80 years. Gösgen was connected to the grid in 1979, Leibstadt in 1984.
The operating licences for both power stations are open-ended. The operators have already submitted their plans to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) regarding retrofitting for long-term operation beyond 60 years. The operators of Gösgen estimate that the investment costs will amount to between 1,022 million and 1,381 million Swiss francs. The operators of Leibstadt estimate costs of between 640 million and 865 million Swiss francs. These costs are spread over 36 years in each case.
The economic viability of these investments depends in particular on future electricity prices, but also on interest rate trends and political conditions. According to the study, long-term operation would only be uneconomical if electricity prices were very low. However, politically motivated early decommissioning and strict conditions and safety regulations would have to be ruled out.
The Federal Council’s report responds to the postulate “Enabling the continued operation of existing nuclear power plants”, which was submitted by Council of States member Thierry Burkart in September 2023.