Switzerland-based green energy producer and supplier Axpo, in collaboration with EWS AG and Genossam Schwyz, is planning to build Alpin Solar Ybrig, a 9 MW ground-mounted solar plant in the municipality of Oberiberg for winter power supply in the region.
EWS AG is Schwyz’s electricity distributing company, and Genossame Schwyz is a landowner where this project will be built.
Alpin Solar Ybrig will be the first solar project in the Schwyz division and the third large-scale solar installation to be implemented by Axpo in the Alpine region, following on from NalpSolar and the solar power plant in the Disentis ski resort.
Alpin Solar Ybrig is a 9-megawatt ground-mounted solar system planned for an area of around 9 hectares (22 acres) on existing pastureland in the Roggenegg area. Besides, after the construction of the solar plant, this area should still be usable for alpine farming.
In addition, the new solar plant is expected to produce 12-gigawatt hours per year of green energy, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of more than 2,600 households.
EWS AG’s existing distribution grid infrastructure will be used to construct the plant.
Solar installations at high altitudes provide a lot of electricity, especially during the winter months, because they are often above the fog and can take advantage of snow reflections and cold temperatures.
“The plant in the canton of Schwyz will enable us, together with EWS and Genossame Schwyz, to add another project to Axpo’s solar offensive, alongside the other two major solar projects, NalpSolar and Ovra Solara Magriel in the Disentis ski resort. By having plants like these in the mountains, as well as ambitious projects in the Swiss Plateau, we want to build more than 1.2 gigawatts of solar capacity in Switzerland and invest further in the development of renewable energies in the country. We need strong partners to do this. We look forward to working with the two partners,” says Oliver Hugi, Head of Solar Switzerland at Axpo.
The Alpin Solar Ybrig project is part of the federal government’s initiative to speed up the construction of solar plants producing a high proportion of winter electricity.
The construction of the plant is expected to start in mid-2024, and the initial energy distribution could begin at the end of 2025, and the full distribution will be in 2026.
