Swiss plan to shut down nuclear plant by 2022

March 21, 2012 12:57 am | Updated 12:57 am IST

The Swiss operator of one of Europe's oldest commercial nuclear reactors says it plans to shut the plant by 2022.

BKW Energie AG said on Tuesday that the Muehleberg plant will continue to provide electricity for 10 years despite a Swiss court ruling earlier this month that the reactor's licence should expire at the end of June 2013.

The company has said it will challenge the ruling at Switzerland's Supreme Court.

Muehleberg began operation in 1972. Earlier this year, it was temporarily shut down after routine maintenance caused a feedwater cooling system to stop working. No radioactivity was released.

Switzerland gets about 40 per cent of its power from five nuclear reactors. The country plans to phase out nuclear power by 2034. — AP

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