Switzerland votes on a project to close its nuclear power plants

Nuclear Power Plants

The 58,2% of them swiss citizens who participated in the open referendum until yesterday (May 21), on the energy future of his country they voted in favor of the proposal of progressively close the nuclear power plants. As a substitution, new plants based on renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass, geothermal among others).

Only in four of the 26 Swiss cantons did the supporters of continuing to use nuclear power plants after 2050 win. "This is a historic day for the country"Green Party MP Adele Thorens Goumaz told the public broadcaster RTS. "Switzerland will finally enter the XNUMXst century when it comes to energy."

A few weeks after the disaster in Fukushima, Switzerland, it counts with five nuclear reactors producing about a third of the country's electricity, had decided to leave nuclear power around 2034, although specifying that this date was theoretical.

The authorities had specified that the plants should be closed after reaching a useful life between 50 and 60 years.

Based on this decision, the Swiss Government (which operates on the basis of consensus and is formed by seven ministers representing the four major parties) work on the development of an energy strategy, the implementation of which is projected in several stages between now and 2050.

The first phase of this strategy, on which the Swiss They have spoken this Sunday, seeks to reduce energy consumption. The project sets indicative values ​​of the average energy consumption per person in a year, establishing as bookmark the year 2000, with a goal of reducing this figure by 16% by 2020 and by 43% by 2035.

The results of the closed vote in the early afternoon of Sunday, May 21, paves the way for the government to gradually implement, from January 2018, the necessary measures to replace nuclear energy.

The Swiss government's energy strategy that got the most in this query Popular marks the horizon of the year 2050, in which the five nuclear reactors currently operating in Switzerland would be dismantled. However, as we have commented previously, this program it does not set exact dates for the closure of each of the nuclear facilities.

Swiss nuclear power plants have operating licenses indefinite useIn other words, there is no clear deadline to determine when they should be closed.

Last November, Swiss voters rejected in a referendum Similar is a proposal to accelerate the closure of nuclear power plants, establishing a 45-year life limit for all of them. One of the key elements in these two consultations has been the economic cost of closing the nuclear power plants and its replacement by renewable installations.

To minimize this cost, the project sets ambitious energy saving and efficiency targets, with a reduction in electricity consumption of the 16% by 2020 and up to 43% by 2035 (in relation to the consumption of the year 2000).

The Swiss parliament supports the new energy law, with the exception of the country's largest political party, the populist Swiss People's Party (SVP). In addition to the economic cost, the SVP opposes the renewable energy proposal, arguing that its massive development will harm the landscape of Switzerland, with the installation of numerous wind and solar plants.

Presence of wind farms

According to the SVP, the reform of the energy system will cost about 200.000 billion Swiss francs (183.000 million euros) until 2050.

For a household of four, this represents 3.200 additional Swiss francs (2.900 euros) per year in additional costs and taxes, said the training.

“It is paying 3.200 francs more (…) for a cold shower”, ironized the UDC in one of its electoral posters.

The Government rejects these calculations and estimates that for a household with four people with standard consumption, the additional cost will be 40 Swiss francs per year.

Furthermore, the Government argues that this could be offset by higher energy efficiency, citing as an example a reduction in energy costs. heating costs.

biomass

At the end of 2016, Swiss voters rejected an initiative launched by the Greens and held by the left which planned to limit the maximum useful life of a reactor to 45 years.


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