Six wind turbines installed to boost Switzerland’s green power

The turbines measure 139 metres from the base to the tip of their blades © Keystone / Valentin Flauraud

Six giant wind turbines have been hoisted into position by a huge crane in the Swiss town of Sainte-Croix on the French border to increase the country’s supply of renewable energy, which has struggled to overcome local opposition.

Germany’s Enercon assembled the turbines that measure 139 metres from the base to the tip of their blades before the crane raised them from the ground.

They will be operated by Swiss utility Romande Energie and can meet the energy needs of 6,100 households – or the entire energy consumption of Sainte-Croix, including its industries.

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Suisse Eole, an association promoting wind energy, said the energy form was essential to the nation’s energy security, which has been weakened by the impact of the Ukraine war on gas supplies to Europe, as well as lower hydropower production because of reduced water levels linked to climate change.

The association said Switzerland last year had only 41 wind turbines in operation, with many projects obstructed by groups that say they degrade the countryside and drive down property prices.