The phaseout of commercial nuclear energy in Germany could have a significant impact on security of supply in neighbouring Switzerland, which over the past five years has imported an average of around 13 TWh of electricity a year from Germany, the scientist and academic Anna Veronika Wendland has said.

Ms Wendland, who has been calling for a discussion in Germany on the planned nuclear phaseout, told the Swiss Nuclear Forum (German only) that Switzerland needs to be as independent as possible of electricity imports from Germany and should therefore maintain its four commercial nuclear power plants because “it will still need them”.

Together with France, Germany is the main supplier of Swiss electricity imports and Switzerland relies on electricity from abroad to meet its needs, especially in winter.