Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.25
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Swiss Axpo is reviewing suitable locations for wind projects in Switzerland, the company told Trend.
With regard to wind energy, Axpo and its subsidiary Volkswind are focusing primarily on Germany and France in their expansion. Axpo would like to implement more wind projects in Switzerland and is reviewing suitable locations. There are two main challenges for wind projects in Switzerland: On the one hand, there are few locations with good wind conditions and good accessibility, whereby mountain ridges exposed to the wind are often not included. On the other hand, the approval procedures in Switzerland are very lengthy and the chances of success are often difficult to assess,” said the company.
Axpo said if wind energy is to become more important in Switzerland in the future, compromises between the parties involved are increasingly called for.
With the acquisition of the French solar energy company Urbasolar in spring 2019, Axpo also entered the growth business with solar energy.
“Axpo develops, builds, operates and maintains photovoltaic systems at the best locations in Europe. In Switzerland, Axpo and its subsidiary CKW are already very active in the construction of solar systems on Swiss roofs. CKW offers solutions for both homeowners and business customers,” said the company.
By means of its international energy trading and origination business activities in almost 40 markets in Europe and the United States, Axpo also enables wind farms and solar plants to be operated without subsidies through long-term purchase agreements (PPAs).
“In Évora/Portugal, for example, Axpo has made a significant contribution to the implementation of a major solar project (25 MW, on a total area of 50 hectares, annual production of around 50 GWh, which corresponds to the average annual consumption of 14,000 households) by means of a long-term PPA (over 10 years) - entirely without state subsidies for the first time on the Iberian peninsula. Same goes with many wind farm PPAs especially in Northern Europe. Axpo has thus laid the foundation stone for the development of similar renewable energy construction projects in the upcoming years and opened up a new business segment for itself.”
With its various business activities in the power plant operating area as well as in the international energy trading area, Axpo is helping to redesign the energy system both in Switzerland and on international scale.
As the largest producer of renewable energies in Switzerland, Axpo is making sustainable investments in the technologies of the future. The company’s focus is on hydropower, wind and biomass at optimal locations. On its way into this future, Axpo is thus securing a consistently sustainable and climate-friendly energy supply for its customers in Switzerland with its proven nuclear power plants.
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