Mill mountain end of it: It threatens to emergency legislation

In 36 days, it is so far. The Bernese energy company BKW will have to adjust the operation of the nuclear power plant mühleberg after 47 years. With the shutdown of a major power source drops. The production of the BKW is reduced by a quarter and cut in half in the Canton of Bern.

the whole of Switzerland, mill mountain covers about five percent of electricity needs. BKW insured to your customers "in the future, reliable" power supply – "thanks to our domestic and foreign production Park, the international trade business, as well as our Europe-wide network".

This is the point of view of the producers. For the national grid company, Swissgrid , for the safe operation of the Swiss Transmission system responsible, other questions arise. "Switzerland is also part of the transit supply in Europe, and there is also a pumped-storage power plants in the Canton of Valais, the pump power to the water," says Maurice Dierick, head of Market at Swissgrid.

"Technically, we have to be ready for the Worst-Case scenario."Irene Fischbach, Director of communications at Swissgrid

from the mill mountain trail drops from Switzerland, it needs more imports of electricity, the power in the North-West of Switzerland will be charged in addition. "You can fix it by increasing the Voltage to increase the line capacity," says Dierick. Specifically: A reinforcement of the mesh portion between the Berne mühleberg and Bassecourt in the Canton of Jura would defuse the Problem.

The overhead line is designed on the 380 Kilovolt (kV, 380'000 volts), but up to now, at 220 kV and operated. Swissgrid wants to increase a long time, the voltage to the highest level. The Plan of the network operator, was to implement the project until the abolition of the NUCLEAR power plant mühleberg . But the project is still blocked. "The urgency is pretty high," says Maurice Dierick.

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During the interview with Swissgrid representatives of the concept of emergency legislation falls. "We are obliged to examine all possible scenarios, in order to fulfil our task," says Irene Fischbach, Director of communications at Swissgrid. An emergency scenario would be to switch the line hourly for a few days to 380 kV voltage, if there is a risk that the transmission network fails in North-West Switzerland.

Technically that would be possible. There is since 1978, between mill mountain and bass court, a line that is approved for an operating voltage of 380 kV. So far she has been operated but only with the lower voltage of 220 kV. Technically, you could kill simply put the switch to go to the higher voltage level.

have since been tightened up but, among other things, the limits for non-ionising radiation. In order to comply with the rules, you would have to make to 54 of 142 poles construction. This requires a planning approval, which prompted the affected communities, new wish to install. The case is now before the Federal administrative court. How long it will go, until the increased current, the nerve in operation will be, Swissgrid can be estimated poorly.

Legally, it is not clear

defined "Technically, we've still got to be ready for the Worst-Case scenario," says Irene Fischbach. This applies especially to the winter time. What would be an extreme scenario? "If the water storage is almost empty, in France, nuclear power plants fail and a cold wave is present," explains Maurice Dierick. In principle, the legislator on the basis of the electricity supply act has the opportunity to talk to emergency legislation. However, the situation legally is not clearly defined. The decision is the responsibility of to increase the Voltage to the Federal Council? "When to intervene, when a risk exists: Such details are not regulated," says Fischbach.

The fears of Swissgrid are no alert of ballistic scenarios. Best lesson it gave in the Winter of 2015/2016: mid-August 2015 Beznau I and II out of operation. Added to this was a previous dry summer, the rivers carried less water than usual, according to low, the energy yield of the run was water power plants. In the fall, the largest nuclear power plant in leibstadt, had a Defect.

Because of the current economy compensated for the loss due to the production of the storage hydropower plants, empty the storage lakes pretty quickly. November has not brought the hoped-for rain. In the Winter of 2015/2016 Electricity interruptions could be prevented only by an enormous number of measures. The risk is increasing due to strong imports in the Winter tremendously.

basics for emergency

The transmission grid could be relieved if more of the additional domestic electricity would be in the middle of the country. For this it needs high-voltage lines between Chippis, VS, and Bickigen and Chamoson, VS, and Chippis. The first project, no plan approval is given, the line from Chamoson is under construction.

Nevertheless, Swissgrid want to be prepared for the Worst Case. The Federal office for the energy (BFE) is now trying to set, among other things, with the Federal office for national economic supply and the Federal electricity Commission, for this case, a legal Foundation. "Who, when, and for which appropriations, analysis, or the direct action is responsible, is very complex and strongly depends on the particular case," says BFE-member of the Executive Committee Marianne Zünd. When the Work is completed, according to the ignition open.

Created: 14.11.2019, 10:21 PM