Longer operational lifetimes for Switzerland’s nuclear power plants would reduce energy system costs by about 11 billion Swiss francs (€11.4bn, $12.3bn) and close a winter electricity gap that sees Bern import power during the coldest months, according to a report by the union Economiesuisse.

The report concludes that if Switzerland were to build new nuclear power plants after 2040, security of supply would be further strengthened.

Switzerland has four commercial nuclear plants: Beznau-1, Beznau-2, Gösgen and Leibstadt, which provided 36% of the country’s electricity in 2022, according to International Atomic Energy Agency data.