After delivering its first pumps for nuclear applications to research centers, Rütschi built a strong reputation in this sector.
The activity was booming: already in the 1950s, the United States and the UK were installing commercial reactors, while France was developing its program with UNGG technology.
Pressurized water reactors were developed by Westinghouse as early as 1957, and the first of this type in Europe was installed in Switzerland, at the Beznau site. The Beznau I reactor started operation in 1969.
As early as 1967, Rütschi secured a contract to supply 16 canned motor pumps and 90 mechanical seal pumps for the Beznau power plant.
These pumps were supplied for various applications, but Rütschi’s ability to provide tailor-made pumps for special applications was essential: effluent transfer pumps, circulation pumps, and even residual heat removal pumps—critical for ensuring nuclear safety—were delivered.
Since Beznau I is still in operation today, these pumps are among the longest-lasting in the sector, with nearly 60 years of service and only a few maintenance operations.
Alongside these new opportunities, Rütschi did not neglect its historical sectors. Chemicals, heating, and water transfer remained key activities for the company.
Notable examples include the delivery of three groundwater pumping units of type BHZP 25, nearly 30 meters long, for the Buchs (CH) agglomeration, as well as pumps for the Nyon wastewater treatment plant, including three SRP 25 pumps for wastewater applications.
