Technical problem shuts down Swiss nuclear power station
Leibstadt was built in 1984 and is one of four nuclear power stations in Switzerland
Keystone
The Leibstadt nuclear power station in northern Switzerland has been disconnected from the power grid and shut down because of a technical fault.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Once the cause has been clarified, the plant will be put back into operation as soon as possible, the operator said. It is not clear when that will be.
The shutdown at Leibstadt – built in 1984 and one of four nuclear power stations in Switzerland – happened on Saturday at 7.48am. Prior to this, there had been “a technical fault in the non-nuclear part of the power plant”, the operator said in a statement.
The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI), which supervises nuclear facilities in Switzerland, said protection of the population and the environment had been guaranteed at all times. It added that the reactor had been shut down automatically in a so-called quick shutdown.
“The plant is in a safe condition. The automatic measuring network in the vicinity of the nuclear power plants has not shown any increase in radioactivity,” ENSI said.
Transducers replaced
Two reactor shutdowns had already occurred at Leibstadt in April and May 2019. Both had the same cause. According to ENSI a malfunctioning transducer led to incorrect values in a channel of the main steam pressure measuring system. These triggered a rapid closure of the turbine inlet valves.
After the second incident, the entire transducer was replaced and the problem was considered solved.
However, it was not only the technology but also the reduction in staff that had led to problems at Leibstadt, a federal report concluded at the end of August.
The report said the reduction in personnel since 2015 was one of the “main reasons for the problems at Leibstadt”. The operator said it intends to reduce the number of employees from around 500 to 470 by 2022, especially in non-safety related positions.
Saturday’s shutdown comes a week after the 47-year-old Mühleberg nuclear power plant near Bern was permanently switched off. It was the first Swiss nuclear power reactor to be decommissioned.
More
More
Switzerland proceeds with historic nuclear shutdown
This content was published on
The 47-year-old Mühleberg nuclear power plant, near Bern, was permanently switched off on Friday.
This content was published on
If there were a serious accident at one of Switzerland’s nuclear reactors, many of the radiation victims would be residents of other countries.
Switzerland condemned for deciding to deport gay Iranian
This content was published on
Switzerland violated the prohibition on inhuman treatment by considering that a gay Iranian could be returned to his country.
Gestational diabetes found to increase risk of adult-onset diabetes
This content was published on
A research team from the Lake Geneva region has identified persistent dysfunctions in glucose regulation in women with gestational diabetes. In the long term, this can increase the risk of adult-onset diabetes by up to ten times.
Swiss village must be evacuated by midday on Sunday
This content was published on
The village of Brienz-Brinzauls in eastern Switzerland, which is threatened by a rockfall, must be evacuated by 1pm on Sunday. All residents must leave the village.
This content was published on
A former judge of the Graubünden Administrative Court in eastern Switzerland has been found guilty of rape, sexual harassment and threatening a former trainee.
Costs and care time increase in Swiss retirement and nursing homes
This content was published on
In 2023 the costs of retirement and nursing homes increased by 5% compared to 2022 and those of assistance and care at home by 7%. Together, they amounted to CHF15 billion.
This content was published on
Almost half of the population in Switzerland shows clear to pronounced signs of smartphone addiction, according to a survey.
Swiss healthcare stakeholders want to save CHF300 million
This content was published on
The main players in the Swiss healthcare sector want to save around CHF300 million ($340 million) in healthcare costs a year from 2026.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Employee faked radiation test data at Swiss nuclear plant
This content was published on
A worker at the Leibstadt nuclear power plant near Zurich was found to have fabricated data on safety tests that were not even performed.
Two Swiss nuclear plants to be checked for irregularities
This content was published on
Steam generators at the Beznau and Gösgen nuclear plants must be checked for possible anomalies in components made in France and Japan.
This content was published on
A half-hearted no, a clear no or a snub? Swiss papers can’t decide what to make of voters’ rejection of phasing out nuclear energy.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.