Alpine solar power project abandoned after opposition

BKW drops project for Alpine solar power plant Keystone-SDA

Swiss energy provider BKW Group has decided to abandon the construction of a planned photovoltaic energy plant in the Bernese Oberland, partly due to opposition from environmentalists.

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According to the company, the main reasons for the Tschingel plant were opposition from environmental authorities and organisations, the timeframe imposed by the so-called Solar Express – the federal government’s extensive subsidy programme – and economic uncertainties.

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According to BKW, the plant would have made a significant contribution to Switzerland’s winter electricity supply, with an expected annual production of around 14 gigawatt hours: around 3100 households could have been supplied with renewable energy.

The project also enjoyed local support: both the Grindel Alpine Cooperative and the municipality of Schattenhalb had given their approval in 2023.

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Now BKW will focus on another project, the Mont Sol project in Saint-Imier in the Bernese Jura.

Translated from Italian by DeepL/mga

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