Swiss Researchers Criticize 43 Billion Franc Cost Estimate for New Nuclear Power Plant
Seven researchers from ETH Zurich, EPFL Lausanne, and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have criticized a study by the Academies of Sciences that estimated the cost of a new nuclear power plant (NPP) in Switzerland could reach up to 43 billion Swiss francs. The researchers, in a letter to the 'NZZ am Sonntag,' argue that the cost calculation is 'distorted,' 'misleading,' and lacks transparency. They claim the study exhibits 'significant methodological weaknesses' and 'untraceable assumptions,' noting that it was not subjected to independent expert review. This criticism follows the Swiss Parliament's decision in June to lift the ban on new nuclear power plant construction. The Academies of Sciences' study, according to 'NZZ am Sonntag,' includes not only construction costs but also the costs for procuring the necessary capital, which could increase the total cost by an additional 20 to 30 percent. However, the dissenting researchers believe that even under pessimistic assumptions, such a high figure is unl... 
