According to Mathias Schlegel, spokesperson for Greenpeace Switzerland, "The operation of the Aargau power plant will continue in denial of the international environmental conventions signed by Switzerland."
Commissioned on 15 December 1984, the Leibstadt nuclear power plant will reach forty years of operation this year. This date is crucial, as it marks the maximum initially planned duration for this facility, the most "recent" still in operation in Switzerland. The operation of the Aargau boiling-water reactor will continue despite non-compliance with the international environmental conventions signed by Switzerland, and will remain heavily dependent on uranium imports from Russia.
To be able to continue its activity, Axpo, the plant operator, must submit a long-term operating concept for approval by the Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (IFSN). This process is unfortunately marred by irregularities. Last February, residents near the nuclear power plant appealed to DETEC in order to obtain the carrying out of an international environmental impact assessment. They rely on international law to assert their democratic right to be consulted. As a signatory to the Aarhus and Espoo conventions, Switzerland commits to monitoring and preventing the impacts of its industrial installations on the environment beyond its national borders.
The Espoo Convention regulates industrial activities whose impact on "health and safety, flora, fauna, soil, air, water, climate, landscape and historic monuments or other constructions" may cross national borders. The Leibstadt plant, located near the border with Germany, is therefore particularly concerned by this text. The Aarhus Convention deals with transparency and access to information concerning activities potentially harmful to the environment. It notably guarantees the right to information of residents near sensitive industrial installations, such as nuclear power plants.
A scheduled phase-out of nuclear power would reduce risks and ensure investment security for the energy transition.
In a position paper published in May 2021, the Federal Council considered that Swiss nuclear power plants could be exempted from the requirements set by these two international conventions. To reach this conclusion, it relies on the fact that these installations have an operating licence of unlimited duration and that the approval of the long-term operating concept does not constitute an extension of the operating period. With this pretext, Switzerland clearly contradicts the spirit of the Aarhus and Espoo conventions. Other countries, such as Belgium, have examined the environmental consequences of their reactor fleets' activities much more thoroughly.
Following DETEC's refusal to consider the residents' request, the latter have just filed an appeal with the Federal Administrative Court. The reaction of the federal administration in this case contrasts with the speed and manner in which Federal Councillor Albert Rösti is attempting to revive nuclear energy in Switzerland. He is strongly engaged in democratic processes to remove the ban on building new nuclear power plants. By contrast, the long-term operation of the Leibstadt nuclear power plant seems to ignore international agreements, critical voices and the democratic rights of citizens.
The situation at Leibstadt is emblematic of the blunders of nuclear policy in Switzerland. In the absence of a clear scenario for the closure of Swiss plants, the country keeps in operation the oldest reactor fleet in the world.
The absence of clear prospects hinders efforts to decarbonise the energy system and the development of renewable energies. A planned phase-out of nuclear power would reduce risks and ensure investment security for the energy transition. It would also offer Switzerland the opportunity to strengthen its independence, an advantage whose importance has become crucial since the start of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
In the current situation, Switzerland remains heavily dependent on fuel imports. Around 45 % of the uranium used in Swiss nuclear reactors comes from the Russian giant Rosatom. This means that 15 % of electricity production in Switzerland depends on trade relations with Russia.
Uranium imports by Switzerland legitimise and partly finance Rosatom's operations. The Russian company is, however, actively involved in the invasion of Ukraine carried out by the Russian authorities. Maintaining trade relations with Rosatom therefore helps finance Russia's war effort in Ukraine.
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