Too Few Nuclear Experts: If the Ban on New Construction Remains, the Long-Term Operation of Gösgen and Leibstadt is Also in Jeopardy

Switzerland's ability to operate its existing nuclear power plants, Gösgen and Leibstadt, for an extended period is increasingly jeopardized by a critical shortage of specialized personnel. While technically feasible to run these plants for up to 80 years, the growing complexity of maintenance, repairs, and monitoring requires a highly skilled workforce that is becoming scarce.

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If the lifting of the ban on new construction is now postponed again or even rejected, that would be a bad signal for the next generation in nuclear technology.

The ongoing debate in the National Council about potentially lifting the ban on constructing new nuclear power plants has indirect implications for the longevity of current facilities. Experts like nuclear physicist Andreas Pautz from the Paul Scherrer Institute emphasize that the long-term operation of plants like Gösgen and Leibstadt, which are vital for Switzerland's winter energy supply, depends heavily on having qualified staff.

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Such a step would call into question long-term operation beyond 60 years.

Pautz warns that a failure to approve new nuclear construction could send a discouraging signal to aspiring nuclear engineers. He questions the career prospects for young professionals who might only manage the decommissioning of old plants, especially when more exciting opportunities exist in countries developing new reactor technologies. This lack of future perspective could deter students from entering the field.

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Which young person starts a career today only to manage the end of an old plant when there are much more exciting jobs in France developing new reactors?

This situation echoes a past decline in nuclear engineering student enrollment following Switzerland's 2017 decision to phase out nuclear energy. Pautz fears a similar drop if the country definitively signals that nuclear power has no future, potentially impacting the availability of essential expertise for maintaining and extending the life of its current nuclear infrastructure.

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If the Swiss public finally sticks to the fact that nuclear energy has no future in the country, many students are likely to change their minds again.