Axpo and BKW: Foundation of a joint planning company
December 13, 2007 | by BKW FMB Energie AG
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December 13, 2007, Axpo and BKW FMB Energy Ltd (BKW) are founding a joint venture company with a view to planning two nuclear power plants. The aim of the planning company is to submit, by the end of 2008, two general permit applications for identical types of power plants, each with a potential electrical capacity of up 1600 Megawatts (MW) for the Mühleberg and Beznau sites. ATEL has been invited to acquire a stake in the company. By founding the company, the partners are following the Federal Council's energy policy which, in addition to promoting energy efficiency and the expansion of new renewable energies, also provides for the implementation of nuclear power plants.
Currently Axpo subsidiaries Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke AG (NOK) and Centralschweizerische Kraftwerke AG (CKW) hold a stake of 57.75% and 11% respectively in the planning company, while BKW's share amounts to 31.25%. The partners reserve the right to invite further partners to acquire a stake, and have already submitted a concrete offer inviting ATEL to participate. The new company's registered office is in Aarau.
The planning company will start work related to the submission of general permit applications at the beginning of 2008. The partners view it as their responsibility to formulate a solution which will ensure Switzerland's energy future. The existing nuclear power plants in Mühleberg (355 MW) as well as in Beznau I and II (730 MW in total) will need to be replaced from around 2020. Added to this, import contracts with France (totalling around 2000 MW) are being phased out. It is in the Swiss economy's interest to close the power supply gap by building new domestic production facilities.
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Source: BKW FMB Energie AG, Press release