Switzerland's energy companies Axpo and IWB have started construction on a 2.2 MW solar power plant which they call the 'largest' alpine solar project in the country. It is being built by a subsidiary of IWB, Planeco.
The AlpinSolar project was initiated by Axpo in 2020 and was later joined by energy supplier IWB. The project secured a go ahead from the Glarus South municipality and the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) in April 2020 (see Axpo Secures Permit For Alpine Solar Plant).
Explaining the technicalities involved in the project construction in an inhabitable region due to extreme cold, Axpo said the components will fly in through a helicopter for which optimal flight times and flight corridors have been coordinated with the municipality.
The helicopter is expected to deliver a total of 730 tons of material to Tierfehd and transport it to the dam. It started with the transportation of a crane through the helicopter to the dam which will deploy solar panels and substructure on Muttsee Dam. All CO2 footprint created by the use of the helicopter will be offset within a few months of the plant's operation, the partners promise.
On completion over the next 4 months, the AlpinSolar project is expected to generate 3.3 million kWh of clean energy annually, half of which will be generated in winter as the sky is clear on higher altitudes. Power generated will be purchased by local supermarket chain Denner under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) (see 2.2 MW Solar Power Plant On Swiss Dam Secures PPA).
Recently, Switzerland's EPFL came out with a study offering what it called a 'provocative' optimal scenario suggesting 75% new wind and 25% solar power capacity in the country's Alpine region as the most effective way to go carbon neutral and become energy self-sufficient (see EPFL Study Recommends Solar & Wind In Swiss Alps).
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