BKW could build a new large-scale power plant in Mühleberg in the long term
Published: Thursday, Dec 19th 2024, 10:50
Updated At: Thursday, Dec 19th 2024, 14:30
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BKW wants to use the site of the decommissioned Mühleberg nuclear power plant for energy supply even after dismantling. In the long term, a new large-scale power plant is even conceivable.
Simply converting the site into a greenfield site would not be expedient, said BKW CEO Robert Itschner on Thursday at a media event in Mühleberg to mark the fifth anniversary of the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant. The site must be preserved, he said, in the interests of BKW and especially in the interests of Switzerland's security of supply.
There are few places in Switzerland with this kind of site quality, he continued. The site is large, the Mühleberg hydropower plant already produces electricity on site and the site is connected to the supra-regional high-voltage grid.
Rather not a green field
BKW has until the end of 2027 to submit an application for subsequent use to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE). Until then, it must be clarified whether the nuclear power plant site should actually continue to be used for energy supply or whether a greenfield site should be created after all. BKW is now holding consultation talks with the Canton of Berne, the majority owner of the company, and the dialog with the authorities is also starting now.
BKW wants to examine various options for further use. In the medium term, for example, a battery storage facility to stabilize the power grid would be possible, possibly in combination with a data center. In the longer term - beyond the federal government's Energy Strategy 2050 - other options such as large-scale low-CO2 power plants are conceivable at Mühleberg.
With a view to the long-term supply of electricity in Switzerland, the construction of winter reserve power plants is repeatedly discussed within the energy industry and politics. Low-CO2 gas-fired power plants, for example, which can be operated with renewable gas, should ideally only run for a few days in an emergency. But the construction of new nuclear power plants is also an issue: Federal Councillor Albert Rösti wants to overturn the ban on the construction of nuclear power plants in Switzerland and has announced a bill to this effect.
Gas or nuclear power plant not ruled out
With regard to Mühleberg, Itschner said that he was considering a large power plant "perhaps with technologies that are not yet mature", but could be. The BKW boss did not rule out a gas-fired power plant or nuclear power as a production technology.
"If we had 'green gas' by then, then the discussion would make sense," said the CEO. In the case of nuclear power, it remains to be seen which new technologies will be possible in this area in the long term. There might also be a political process to overcome.
According to Itschner, hydrogen production would also be an option: With the hydropower plant, Mühleberg has a lot of constantly produced electricity in summer - so-called band energy - which does not find as many customers in summer when solar production is usually high at the same time.
No more spent fuel elements
The Mühleberg nuclear power plant was decommissioned on December 20, 2019 after 47 years of operation. There were mainly economic reasons for the closure: The BKW management at the time, under former CEO Suzanne Thoma, decided that the reactor was not making enough profit for the upgrades demanded after the reactor disaster in Fukushima to be worthwhile. It is estimated that ten times as much would have had to be invested for continued operation as for a license until 2019.
Today, around 300 employees are still working for the Mühleberg nuclear power plant, as they were when it was shut down. They are now responsible for dismantling the plant. This is on track both in terms of time and finances, the nuclear power plant said on Thursday. BKW expects the costs of dismantling, including disposal costs, to remain at around CHF 1 billion until 2034 - as before the shutdown.
The dismantling will take a total of 15 years. BKW does not expect to be able to use the site again until 2034. However, the nuclear power plant has been "free of nuclear fuel" since the beginning of September 2023. The disused fuel elements were transported to the interim storage facility in Würenlingen.
©Keystone/SDA
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