Beznau Nuclear Power Plant

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Data
Beznau Nuclear Power Plant
Beznau Nuclear Power Plant
Country	Switzerland
Location	Döttingen (AG)
Coordinates	47°33′08″N 8°13′43″E / 47.552107, 8.228492
Operator	Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke AG (NOK)
Built	1965
Start of commercial operation	December 24, 1969
Reactors
Reactor supplier	Westinghouse Electric
Reactor type	PWR
Reactors active	2 (730 MW)
Power
Total power generation in 2007	5939 GWh
Average annual generation (last 5 yrs)	5920 GWh
Net generation	195871 GWh
Status	Operating
Generators	4 (Brown Boveri)
Other details
Architect	Brown Boveri, Gibbs & Hill
Constructors	Zschokke
License expires	unlimited
Website Official website
As of June 11, 2008

The Beznau Nuclear Power Plant (German Kernkraftwerk Beznau, abbreviated KKB) is located 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. Each has a thermal capacity of 1130 MW and produces 365 MW net electrical power. They are cooled with the water of the Aar river. In addition to electricity, the plant furnishes approximately 5 TWh of energy per year for district heating to 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 identical Beznau 2 went online. Technical staff is located in an office building on the opposite side of the Aar.

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 plant.

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.^[1]

1 Security measures
2 Nuclear events
3 Chronology
4 Reactor summary
5 References
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] 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.

[edit] Nuclear events

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

Year^[2]	INES level								Total
Year^[2]	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
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

[edit] Chronology

Some significant events for the Beznau Nuclear Power Plant^[3]:

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 operation 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 operation 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)