Alpiq, partners prepare new alpine solar farm in Switzerland

• Swiss power manufacturer Alpiq and also two companions are planning to establish a high-altitude solar energy project in the Alps which is expected to produce between 40 GWh and also 50 GWh annually.

Alpiq, Grande Dixence SA, an organization operating the Grande Dixence Dam, and also the municipality of Heremence, today signed a letter of intent for the project.

A previous quarry utilized during the building and construction of the Grande Dixence dam has actually been chosen to hold the new solar park.

The preparation for the project is already underway. A dimension and also testing system will certainly be mounted at the site in the next weeks to collect data regarding the meteorological criteria of the location and assess its capacity for solar power. The following step will certainly be then an ecological influence assessment which need to be conducted following summer.

The development of a solar project at that website will benefit from a medium-voltage power line that is connected to the area around the dam.

The companions aim to submit an application for a building permit by the end of 2023 as well as placed the plant into operation by the end of 2025. Situated at 2,800 metres above sea level in the municipality of Heremence, the Prafleuri solar park will certainly generate a large portion of its output in the winter season when demand is bigger.

The implementation of solar energy in the Alps is sustained by the Swiss state. Previously this year, the parliament passed legal modifications that relieve the installment of alpine solar parks as part of steps indicated to fight power scarcities throughout the winter season. Axpo, a Swiss energy, is likewise planning such projects as part of a solar offensive in the home market.