Highlights
1,377 tHM spent nuclear fuel in storage (2016)
2,216 tHM spent nuclear fuel projected by 2050
1972 First year of commercial nuclear operation
4 operating nuclear power reactors
1 operating research reactors
3.1 GW(e) installed nuclear capacity (2017)
37.73% nuclear share of domestic energy production (2018)
Regulators: The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (safety and security), Swiss Federal Office of Energy (safeguards)
Power Operators: Kernkraftwerk Gösgen-Däniken AG, Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG, Axpo AG, BKW FMB Energie AG
Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel
Practices
- Prior to the 2003-2020 moratorium on reprocessing, some operators made contracts with French and British companies to reprocess approximately 1,200 metric tons fuel to be returned and reused in domestic plants
- SNF is currently stored first wet onsite before transferred to wet or dry storage at independent interim facilities (two dry, one wet)
- The process for DGR site selection by the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA) is ongoing and a Parliamentary approval of the license is expected in approximately 2030
- Public consultation and referenda are to be solicited throughout the process
- NAGRA and the Paul Scherrer Institute also work on radionuclide research for waste management and Switzerland has international initiatives to research DGR siting
Obligations
- Switzerland’s safeguards agreement (INFCIRC/264) entered into force in 1978 and the additional protocol in 2005
- Switzerland signed the Joint Convention in 1997 and ratified in 2000
- NPP operators are responsible for fuel cycle management under the 2003 Nuclear Energy Act and 2004 Nuclear Energy Ordinance and operate with a “polluter-pays” policy
- Future reprocessing is prohibited under the Energy Strategy 2050 and so spent fuel policy includes final disposal
- Swiss spent fuel cannot be disposed of in another country’s DGR
