Switzerland begins exit from atomic power as Muehleberg nuclear plant switched off

Muehleberg nuclear power station went off the grid on Friday after 47 years, marking the end of an era and the start of Switzerland’s exit from atomic power.

The 373-megawatt-capacity plant, which opened in 1972, has generated enough electricity to cover the energy consumption of the nearby city of Bern for more than 100 years.

The station is the first of Switzerland’s five nuclear reactors to be closed following the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, which triggered safety concerns about nuclear power, Reuters said.

Switzerland’s government has said it will build no new nuclear reactors and decommission its existing plants at the end of their lifespans. Neighboring Germany is due to abandon nuclear power stations by 2022.