A major solar project in western Switzerland is scaling back its plans to produce clean energy due to concerns about avalanche risks and insufficient grid connections. The energy company EnAlpin confirmed the project’s setbacks, which initially aimed to establish three solar parks in Mattmark, Mäsweide-Rieberg, and Mattwald, with 800,000 solar modules generating 1.44 terawatt hours of electricity across six sites.

However, surveys highlighted potential risks at this scale, prompting the company to consider reducing the project by half. Additionally, the Valais region’s electricity grid is already strained, necessitating upgrades before adding more power plants. This process could take six years, while obtaining planning permission may extend even further.

EnAlpin’s finalized plans will be disclosed after August, pending feedback from Swissgrid. This comes after another ambitious solar project in Grengiols, Valais, had to scale down its electricity output from 600 to 110 gigawatts, covering a smaller area with 160,000 solar modules.

Switzerland’s goal of achieving zero net emissions by 2050 has received voter endorsement, but various alternative energy proposals have faced limited support, making the realization of these projects challenging.

Link to the news