Switzerland’s largest battery storage facility goes online

Switzerland’s largest battery storage facility to date was inaugurated on Wednesday in Plattischachen, in the municipality of Gurtnellen in the canton of Uri. Axpo and Energie Uri, the two energy companies behind the project, announced the start of operations.

The project comprises two battery energy storage systems built in close proximity. Axpo’s system has a power capacity of 50 MW, while Energie Uri’s system has a capacity of 8.4 MW.

When construction began just under a year ago, Axpo said its facility would provide two hours of storage. Fluence supplied the battery systems. Axpo did not initially disclose the investment amount. A response to an inquiry from pv magazine was pending at the time of publication.

“Such projects also bring technological know-how to the canton, generate contracts for local companies in Uri, and secure jobs in the region. Uri benefits from this in ways that go beyond just energy supply,” said Hermann Epp, a member of the cantonal government and director of construction for the canton of Uri.

Epp said the two large-scale storage systems have transformed the industrial area into an “energy hub of national importance” and demonstrate how the energy transition can be implemented in practice.

The batteries are designed to temporarily store surplus electricity, including generation from solar and wind facilities, and feed it back into the grid when needed. According to the companies, Axpo’s system will primarily serve the national market, while Energie Uri’s system will be operated with a focus on the canton’s needs.

Axpo is expanding its battery storage portfolio across Europe. The company already operates facilities in Switzerland and Sweden, while additional battery storage projects with a combined power capacity of more than 300 MW are under construction in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Romania.

The Swiss energy company is also increasingly developing battery storage in combination with solar and wind generation.