Water too warm – continued operation of the Beznau nuclear power plant endangers fish – News


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Despite the water temperature being too high, the Beznau nuclear power plant can continue to operate, and it is now becoming critical for the fish in the Aare.

  • Fishing associations are concerned about fish in the Aare below the Beznau nuclear power plant. The situation is currently very threatening, especially for trout and grayling.
  • Also because of the cooling water from the nuclear power plant, the water temperature below the Beznau peninsula has been above the critical value of 25 degrees for days, which is life-threatening for the fish.
  • Despite this danger, the nuclear power plant can continue to run at reduced capacity for fear of the energy supply in the coming winter.

It’s a textbook conflict of goals: environmental protection vs. security of supply. On the one hand there is the well-being of fish and aquatic life in the Aare below the Beznau nuclear power plant. On the other hand, securing the Swiss energy supply in the coming winter. Security of supply has currently prevailed in this conflict, which is why fishing associations are now worried about fish stocks.

Why the Beznau nuclear power plant continues to run despite the water temperature being too high


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Actually, an ordinance on the Water Protection Act states very clearly: If the temperature of the Aare below Beznau is above 25 degrees Celsius for three days in a row, the two reactors must be shut down. This criterion was achieved last weekend. Nevertheless, the operator Axpo is allowed to continue running the nuclear power plant with reduced output. The Federal Office of Energy has approved an exception for this. Without the Beznau stream, the already tense energy supply situation would become even worse in the coming winter. Read here why exactly.

Axpo is satisfied with the federal government’s decision to allow the nuclear power plant to continue operating. However, a spokesman emphasizes that the output of the power plant would currently be throttled by up to 50 percent depending on the situation, which would only warm the Aare a few tenths of a degree.

At the request of SRF, representatives of fishing organizations did not express any direct criticism of the continued operation of the Beznau nuclear power plant, but they were quite concerned. David Bittner, Managing Director of the Swiss Fishing Association, says that from 25 degrees it becomes particularly critical for fish species such as trout and grayling that need cold: “It is a matter of time before they can survive such a heat phase.” For various reasons, these fish in particular have had a difficult time for years and are now rather rare in the Aare.

Bernhard Kaufmann, President of the Lower Aare Valley Lease Association, which is responsible for fishing in the long section of the Aare between Beznau and the confluence with the Rhine, speaks of an even dramatic situation: “At this temperature level, trout and grayling can hardly survive ». In the past, this section was predestined for trout and grayling, but today the stocks have already fallen sharply.

Further protective measures required

The canton of Aargau is aware of the problems with excessively high water temperatures. It affects not only the Aare, but also other rivers, says Thomas Stucki, head of hunting and fishing at the canton. Measures have already been taken: “For a number of years, an area has been dredged at suitable locations, with inflows from colder side waters, which the fish can use as a retreat.” Such a zone has recently also been created directly at the Beznau nuclear power plant, where the increasingly cold Surb flows into the Aare.

Fisheries manager Bernahrd Kaufmann is now calling for more such measures. In cooperation with the canton, the lease association is already planning further retreats in the area below the Beznau nuclear power plant.

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