immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Kraftwerk

  • Switzerland’s first low-pressure turbine commissioned in Martigny-Bourg

    Switzerland’s first low-pressure turbine commissioned in Martigny-Bourg

    The Forces Motrices de Martigny-Bourg (FMMB) have commissioned Switzerland’s first low-pressure turbine. As Alpiq writes in a press release, 850,000 kilowatt hours of electricity can now be generated per year in the underwater channel of the river power plant on the Dranse. The power plant’s current three production units generate 89 million kilowatt hours per year.

    Depending on the flow rate, the low-pressure turbine can turbine between 1.25 and 10.2 cubic metres of water per second. It is designed for a head of up to 2.5 metres. It has no additional impact on the environment and does not affect existing electricity production. “The installation of this new low-pressure turbine makes it possible to make the best possible use of the available water resources while at the same time being considerate of the environment,” said power plant manager Georges-Alain Zuber in the press release.

    Planning for the plant began in 2011. It is being subsidised with funds from the cost-covering feed-in remuneration.

    The power plant was built in 1908 as an electricity generator for Electro-Chimie de Paris. Today, the municipalities of Bovernier with 23.04 per cent, Sembrancher with 18.72 per cent, Martigny with 17.22 per cent, Martigny-Combe with 15.58 per cent and Vollèges with 1.64 per cent as well as Alpiq with 18 per cent and the Valais energy supplier FMV with 5.8 per cent have a stake in FMMB.

  • Negotiations between ewz, the municipality of Surses and the canton of Graubünden

    Negotiations between ewz, the municipality of Surses and the canton of Graubünden

    Ewz’s original concession application for the renewal of the water rights concessions for the Tinizong and Nandro power plants, which expire in May 2035, was rejected by the Surses electoral municipality on 21 January 2024. Despite this decision, ewz remains optimistic and intends to continue the constructive dialogue in order to highlight the advantages of a renewed concession.

    Philippe Heinzer, Head of the Energy division at ewz, emphasises ewz’s willingness to engage in solution-oriented negotiations and sees the inclusion of the concession renewal as one of the options for action in the municipality’s message as a positive sign of confidence.

    As a long-standing electricity producer in the region, ewz has extensive experience and is significantly integrated into the local economy and infrastructure. With an annual production of over 700 GWh, which corresponds to the consumption of around 280,000 four-room households, ewz plays a central role in the regional energy supply. A licence renewal would enable ewz to continue to operate the existing plants efficiently and safely and to continue to guarantee the energy supply in the region.

    In addition, ewz invests around CHF 10 million annually in the maintenance and modernisation of the power plants and the regional distribution grid and contributes to regional value creation with substantial tax and water interest payments.

    By focussing on strengthening hydropower as a renewable energy source, ewz is reaffirming its commitment to the preservation and further development of this important resource. The planned offer for a new concession to the municipality of Surses and the canton of Graubünden will show how ewz sees its role in the future energy supply of the region and how it can contribute to the sustainable development of the local community.

  • Project partners present alpine solar project ScuolSolar

    Project partners present alpine solar project ScuolSolar

    The project partners for the alpine photovoltaic system in the Scuol Motta Naluns ski area want to take advantage of the opportunities arising from the Solar Express initiated by the federal government. For this reason, the municipality of Scuol and its civic community, together with EE Energia Eng iadina and Engadiner Kraftwerke AG from Zernez, are presenting their plans for the area surrounding these ski area facilities, more precisely in the Salaniva area. The public information event took place on 25 July.

    The plant is to be used in particular for the production of renewable winter electricity. According to a media release, existing infrastructure will be used to a large extent for the transmission of the energy. Grazing on the land will continue to be possible.

    The project partners have developed their plan within the framework of a project planning company in which all parties have a one-third share. According to the information provided, this shareholding and participation relationship will also apply to the further planning steps. Ultimately, ScuolSolar AG is to be formed. After the necessary approval of the population, the partners want to further develop “this important pioneering project for the Lower Engadine” with experts, then implement and finally operate it.

  • Buildings should become power plants

    Buildings should become power plants

    The Swiss Federal Office of Energy ( SFOE ) has published its vision for the Swiss building stock by 2050 in a document . By then, the majority of buildings should be able to meet their own electricity needs from sustainable energy sources. The excess electricity is to be used for electric mobility.

    At the same time, the electricity requirements of buildings are to be reduced. Overall, the final energy consumption of the Swiss building stock by 2050 should be around 65 instead of 90 terawatt hours.

    With a few exceptions, there should no longer be any heating oil, natural gas or electricity for direct consumption for heating. Oil and natural gas heaters and stationary electrical resistance heaters are to be replaced by renewable energy sources. Energetic operational optimization should be mandatory for all buildings by 2030.

  • Canton of Jura gives electricity from geothermal energy a new chance

    Canton of Jura gives electricity from geothermal energy a new chance

    Generating electricity from deep geothermal energy in Switzerland is given another chance. As announced by the Jura government, it wants to negotiate with Geo-Energie Suisse SA about a gradual resumption of the project. Additional safety requirements are to be set. In addition, an advisory committee made up of independent experts is to ensure the transparency of the project. If security is guaranteed, the government sees many advantages in the development of renewable energies, according to a statement from the canton.

    The canton approved the Geo-Energie Suisse SA project in 2015. It provides for the production of electricity from deep geothermal energy for 6,000 households. A magnitude 5.4 earthquake triggered by a similar project in Pohang, South Korea, in November 2017 also sparked fears in the Haute-Sorne region. An analysis by Geo-Energie Suisse SA came to the conclusion that a scenario like that in Pohang in the Jura was “unthinkable” due to the safety requirements. However, the project actually came to a standstill.

    Similar projects to generate electricity from deep geothermal heat had previously led to minor earthquakes in Basel and St.Gallen. The affected projects were then stopped.

  • Linking EuroAirport to the district heating network is progressing

    Linking EuroAirport to the district heating network is progressing

    The expansion of the heating network to the planned connection of the EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is progressing. The construction company SMCE forage et tunnel based in Sierentz has drilled two 90 meter long tunnels under the A35 motorway in Alsace, according to a press release from Primeo Energie from Münchenstein. The pipes that will transport the heat to the airport in the future will then be laid in the tunnels.

    The heat comes from the biomass power plant in the Alsatian town of Saint-Louis. It is operated by the energy company R-CUE , a subsidiary of the energy supplier Primeo Energie. So far, R-CUE has been supplying the equivalent of 5,000 households with heat via the existing district heating network of 12.3 kilometers and producing electricity at the same time.

    With the EuroAirport, a large heat consumer is added. The airport alone has a heating energy requirement of 3000 apartments. Its connection to the network “will reduce the consumption of fossil fuels by 90 percent” and thus decarbonize its energy mix. At the same time, the connection saves on heating costs, according to the press release.

    Other urban and commercial areas are later to be connected to the district heating network in the Saint-Louis metropolitan area, including the Saint-Louis hypercentre, the centre, south and north zones, the Lys development zone (ZAC) and the Technoport. In total, the network is to grow to a length of 30 kilometers.

    By 2030, up to 68 gigawatt hours of additional heat are to be distributed each year. This corresponds to 10,000 households and requires the construction of a new biomass heating plant, the press release continues. The expansion of the Saint-Louis heating network was decided at the end of 2020.

  • Schächen power plant supplies 3,600 households

    Schächen power plant supplies 3,600 households

    In its first, not quite full year of operation, the Schächen hydropower plant produced 14.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity to supply around 3,300 households. In full operation there will be 3,600 households. The new power plant will thus make an important contribution to the CO2-free supply of electricity from renewable sources, emphasized Werner Jauch, Chairman of the Board of Directors, at the general meeting of KW Schächen AG .

    According to a press release, he also highlighted that two of the three machine groups of the power plant commissioned in November 2019 started work six weeks ahead of schedule. This was not a matter of course, especially in Corona times. "This enabled us to make optimal use of the good water supply in winter and spring 2020."

    In general, the construction work in the middle of the lively Uri basin was “a great challenge”, says Jauch: “The project experienced many ups and downs in a planning and approval marathon of around eight years, and the construction phase was also very demanding.” It turned out to be very demanding however, "definitely worth it to accept and successfully master all challenges up to and including the corona pandemic at KW Schächen".

  • Aare power plant in Klingnau generates more electricity

    Aare power plant in Klingnau generates more electricity

    The Aare power plant in Klingnau produced a total of 202 million kilowatt hours of electricity last year, according to a media release . This corresponds roughly to the consumption of 45,000 four-person households. Production was higher than in the previous year due to slightly higher discharge volumes. At that time, the power plant had produced 186 million kilowatt hours of electricity.

    The Aare power plant in Klingnau is 60 percent owned by the Baden-based energy company Axpo . The remaining shares belong to AEW Energie AG , based in Aarau. The annual costs borne by the partners in 2020 totaled 9.7 million francs, which is slightly below the costs of the previous year (10 million francs). The production costs were around 4.78 cents per kilowatt hour.

    The Board of Directors of Aarekraftwerk Klingnau AG has approved the annual report and the accounts for the 2019/20 financial year, according to the information, at the beginning of the week for the attention of the General Meeting. This will take place on March 12th.

  • CKW submits a license application for a hydropower plant

    CKW submits a license application for a hydropower plant

    CKW has submitted the concession and building application for the Waldemme small hydropower plant in Flühli LU to the Canton of Lucerne. In the past few months, the project has been revised with the involvement of environmental protection organizations, as CKW writes in a press release. In contrast to the original plan, the Lammschlucht gorge, among other things, is to remain untouched.

    According to CKW's plans, the power plant is to be completed by 2023. It should have an output of 1.4 megawatts and produce around 6.5 gigawatt hours of electricity per year. According to the information, this will cover the needs of around 1,500 four-person households. CKW expects an investment sum of around 13 million francs.

    With the investment, CKW is "making a contribution to a secure and sustainable energy supply" and "taking care of orders for the Lucerne economy", says CKW CEO Martin Schwab. The major part of the order volume will remain in the canton of Lucerne.

    Government Councilor Fabian Peter (FDP) welcomes the project. “The canton of Lucerne must also make its contribution to the energy transition in 2050 and to achieving the climate targets. There is potential for this in the field of renewable energies that should be used and promoted with suitable framework conditions ”, he is quoted in the communication from CKW.

  • Erstfeldertal power plant produces its first electricity

    Erstfeldertal power plant produces its first electricity

    In the canton of Uri, a further 7200 households can be supplied with CO2-free electricity. The hydropower plant of the energy supplier EWA at the entrance to the Erstfeldertal started up on Thursday and produced electricity for the first time. "In two and a half years from the first approval step to commissioning is absolutely unique for a power plant of this size," the chairman of the EWA management, Werner Jauch, is quoted in a press release from the EWA.

    Before that, a wide variety of studies and projects had been developed for a good 100 years. “They all disappeared back into the drawer,” writes the EWA. And this project, too, “stood on a knife's edge several times”. Speed was now of the essence because in a month's time the national subsidy contributions to the power plant would have expired. That would have failed the project. “We believed it was feasible and we succeeded in putting the power plant into operation more than a month before the deadline,” said Jauch.

    Around 45 companies from Uri were involved in the construction, explains Peter Dittli, Vice President of the Board of Directors of KW Erstfeldertal AG . 75 percent of the total investment of 37 million francs remained in Uri as added value. In addition, there would be water interest and tax revenues. And finally, operation and maintenance also secured jobs. All of this is "particularly valuable in economically challenging times," said Jauch. "The corona pandemic shows us how important local production is when the international supply chains collapse very quickly."

  • Madulain hydropower plant is back in operation

    Madulain hydropower plant is back in operation

    Repower has put the Madulain hydropower plant back into operation. According to a press release , the company invested around 2.3 million francs in its comprehensive renovation. Among other things, the control system, the control technology, the electrical installations and the entire medium-voltage switchgear were replaced. In addition, the turbine and generator had to be overhauled.

    The Madulain hydropower plant produces around six gigawatt hours of electricity annually. This corresponds to the average annual consumption of 1,300 households.

    The hydropower plant, built in 1903, was last renovated in 1980. It uses the tributary of the Ova d'Es-cha mountain stream on a slope of around 400 meters.