The Beznau nuclear power plant is a nuclear power plant of the Swiss energy utility Axpo, located in the municipality Döttingen, Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, on an artificial island in the Aar river. The plant has been operating since September 1969.

Putting an end to the traditional predilection of the Swiss power utilities for hydroelectric power, in the beginning of the 1960s the then Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke AG (NOK, now part of Axpo Holding) started to take into account the construction of a nuclear power plant.

Beznau 1, which first became operational on 24 December 1969, is the first commercial nuclear power reactor in Switzerland. The power plant was built in the 1960s when little opposition to nuclear projects was present. A second reactor, Beznau II, became operational on 15 March 1972.

The Beznau nuclear power plant has a nameplate capacity of 730 MW. Its Annual net output is 5,826 GW·h.

In view of the substitution of the plant, Resun AG submitted a framework permit application for a third reactor to the federal authorities on 4 December 2008, designated “EKKB” (Ersatzkernkraftwerk Beznau, Beznau replacement nuclear power plant) or Beznau 3. Although the technical specifications are to be defined later, the reactor of choice is to be a light water type Generation III reactor with an electrical power of 1450 MW. The cooling is to be ensured by a hybrid tower.

The project is on indefinite hold following decisions by the Swiss federal authorities after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011 to cease constructing new nuclear power plants.

According to Wikipedia