Axpo to invest CHF1.5 billion in Swiss solar projects

Switzerland wants to boost solar production to complement its winter energy supply. Keystone/gaetan Bally

The plans by the energy company involve building solar plants both in the Alps and in lower-lying regions of the country by 2030, Axpo said on Tuesday.

The energy firm, Switzerland’s largest producer of renewable energy, said the goal was to build plants with a capacity of over 1.2 gigawatts, which could then produce some 1.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity a year – the equivalent of the electricity usage of more than 300,000 households.

Plans include Alpine solar plants – both on existing infrastructure and in open areas – as well as new installations on industrial and domestic roofs in lower-lying regions.

For example, an open plant with a capacity of 10 megawatts is to be built next to the Nalps reservoir in canton Graubünden, with the plant scheduled to go into operation in autumn 2025.

Alpine solar plants, built above the “fog line”, would produce around three times as much electricity in winter as comparable plants in lower lying areas, Axpo said.

Axpo CEO Christoph Brand said in a press release on Tuesday that the timing for this “solar offensive” was sparked by a combination of political conditions and high market prices for electricity.

At the end of September, the Swiss parliament approved the “solar offensive” bill, aiming to speed up the construction of solar parks to help avoid winter energy shortages. The bill reduces the hurdles for construction of big mountain solar projects – including strict environmental regulations – and offers generous subsidies. The simplified approval procedures and additional subsidies apply until the end of 2025.