Sustainability
Positive eco-balance – from uranium decomposition to storage deep underground
Electricity generated in the Beznau nuclear power plant (KKB) is among the most environmentally friendly forms of energy in Switzerland. The plant only yields a very low CO₂-value per kilowatt hour (kWh) produced.
It is the first power plant in Switzerland for which an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD®) has been drawn up in accordance with ISO 14025. With very low CO₂ emissions per kWh, Beznau is well below the Swiss average of 24 g CO₂ per kWh of electricity generated. There are only a few run-of-river hydro power plants with comparably low values.
Transparent eco-balance
An eco-balance is central to the Environmental Product Declaration in accordance with ISO 14025. It enables environmental emissions to be quantified and assessed, and resources to be exploited over the entire duration of the electricity production process. The other environmental impacts recorded in the EPD® analysis are emissions of ozone-depleting gases, formation of ozone close to the ground (smog formation) and radioactive emissions into the environment. All forms of environmental impact are taken into account, including uranium degradation, the recycling of fission products, the production, transport and reconditioning of fuel rods, as well as the construction of the nuclear power plant, the intermediate storage and underground storage of radioactive waste. Other environmental information includes the biological diversity in the vicinity of the plant, personnel radiation exposure and electromagnetic fields.
Greenhouse gas emissions in European and Swiss electricity systems