Swiss think-tank estimates new nuclear plant costs similar to large solar farms

A liberal policy institute released a new estimate that constructing a nuclear power plant comparable to Gösgen would require roughly ten to mid-teens billion francs, assuming a mature reactor model and incorporating experience from recent cost overruns. Their baseline scenario predicts electricity from the plant would cost about 172 francs per megawatt-hour. The institute also compared these figures with solar power, noting that utility-scale photovoltaic farms would produce electricity at roughly 160 francs per MWh, whereas small rooftop installations would cost around 280 francs per MWh.

This contrasts with a previous report by the Swiss Academies of Sciences, which projected a much wider cost interval and highlighted recent projects in Europe and the United States that saw costs and timelines double or triple. Although new nuclear construction is currently prohibited, the Swiss Parliament has moved to repeal the ban, and a popular vote on the change is expected no earlier than February 2027.