The energy company Axpo wants to build a 10 MW solar power plant on an area of 80,000 m2 at an altitude of 2,100 m in the Swiss Alps. The Ovra Solara Magriel project generates electricity for the mountain railway and the ski area.
According to the company, the Ovra Solara Magriel project will be located on an area of 80,000 m2 at an altitude of 2,100 meters. “The mountain railway to the Disentis ski area can meet its annual electricity needs entirely with local solar power,” Axpo said in a statement. “Utilizing existing infrastructure, such as the power grid, simplifies the construction of a solar power plant.”
The construction of the plant is planned for spring 2024, and it is scheduled to be completed in autumn 2026. “Another 10 MW geothermal power plant will be built from autumn 2025 in the town of Tujetsch near the Nalps reservoir. Canton of Grisons,” the company added.
In September, Axpo commissioned its first alpine power project, a 2.2 MW solar power system at the Muttsee dam at an altitude of almost 2,500 meters above sea level.
In January, the Swiss energy company received a power purchase agreement for the project from the supermarket chain Denner. The deal was the first bilateral agreement for an unsubsidized solar project in Switzerland.
In September 2022, Switzerland changed its energy law, focusing on urgent measures to secure electricity supply in winter. The new federal law aims to enable and facilitate the construction of large-scale ground-mounted solar power systems in the Swiss Alps, at least 1,500 meters above sea level.
The Swiss government is expected to grant support of up to 60% of the installation costs of eligible projects. For support, the winter yield of the projects must be at least 500 kWh/kW.
The Swiss government aims to achieve 2 TWh of alpine electricity production through an incentive system.
