Axpo - Experts & Thought Leaders

The Aare power plant in Klingnau has been reliably producing electricity for almost 90 years. From 2026, Axpo and AEW Energie AG will be renewing the turbines and generators, and investing CHF 71 million to do so. This will increase electricity production by around 11 per cent. Klingnau Aare power plant (AKA) The Klingnau Aare power plant (AKA) has been in operation since 1935 with an installed capacity of 43 MW. Since then, it has produced an average of 210 million kilowatt hours of renewable electricity per year.  The planned replacement of the three generators and the overhaul of the three turbines will further increase the high availability of the power plant. In addition, the revised turbines will be able to process more water for electricity production. This will increase average annual production by around 11 per cent to 230 million kilowatt hours. This corresponds to the electricity requirements of over 55,000 four-person households. Significant investment in renewable energies Axpo and AEW Energie AG are investing around 71 million Swiss francs in the modernization Axpo and AEW Energie AG are investing around 71 million Swiss francs in the modernization, thus underlining their commitment to security of supply and renewable energies. Axpo invests large sums in the Swiss electricity infrastructure every year and once again covered around 40 per cent of Switzerland's electricity requirements in the 2023/24 financial year. The focus of AEW's investments for security of supply in the areas of production and grid is in the canton of Aargau, where it supplies around 103,000 customers with electricity. Modernization of AKA's production facilities Due to their long service life, a fundamental modernization of AKA's production facilities has become necessary. From 2026, the three machine groups - consisting of turbines and generators - will be overhauled or replaced in stages. This will take around six years. During this time, the power plant will remain in operation on a partially reduced basis. The Klingnau Aare power plant (AKA) will return to full operation from 2032. The AKA is a partner plant operated by Axpo (60%) and AEW Energie AG (40%). The concession was renewed in 2015 and runs for 60 years until 2075.

A ground-breaking ceremony was held by Axpo and its partner shareholders in the H2Uri company to mark the start of construction on a new green hydrogen production plant in Bürglen, central Switzerland. The facility will be Axpo's second such plant in the country. From 2026, green hydrogen from the 2 MW plant will fuel the first hydrogen passenger vessel on Lake Lucerne, as well as other applications. hydrogen production plant The plant will be located adjacent to the EWA-Energie Uri hydropower plant in Bürglen which will supply it Axpo and partners Schätzle AG, EWA-Energie Uri, and SGV Holding AG (Schifffahrtsgesellschaft Vierwaldstättersee) broke ground on the site of a new hydrogen production plant to be constructed by H2Uri, a company in which all four partners are shareholders. The plant will be located adjacent to the EWA-Energie Uri hydropower plant in Bürglen, which will supply it with green electricity for the production of hydrogen. green hydrogen Annual production of up to 260 tonnes of green hydrogen is planned, saving the use of more than one million liters of diesel.  Axpo Head of Power Plants and Green Gases Guy Bühler said, "Having already gained valuable experience with our green H2 plant in Domat/Ems, this project in Bürglen is a continuation of our strategy to play our part in the development of the hydrogen economy in Switzerland." Hydrogen vessel on Lake Lucerne The new plant’s green hydrogen will be used, among other things, to power the passenger vessel ‘Saphir’ on Lake Lucerne. SGV Managing Director Stefan Schulthess said, "By converting the vessel to a hydrogen fuel cell system, we can significantly reduce our CO2 emissions. Plans for this are already well advanced." H2Uri shareholder Schätzle AG, which operates an Avia hydrogen refueling station in central Switzerland, will also purchase green hydrogen produced by the plant. Axpo and its partners aim to have the new facility up and running as early as next year. Shaping the hydrogen economy  The inclusion of hydrogen in the energy mix will help strengthen Switzerland’s security of supply The inclusion of hydrogen in the energy mix will help strengthen Switzerland’s security of supply. Axpo is also driving forward its decarbonization efforts with other investments in hydrogen projects, regionally, nationally, and internationally.  Axpo’s head of hydrogen Guy Bühler continued, "There are still many challenges in the hydrogen market, so I don’t expect progress to be continual." Hydrogen-related events "Nevertheless, I remain convinced that decarbonization cannot be achieved through electrification alone. Hydrogen will be part of the solution." Axpo continues to participate in various hydrogen-related events to share experiences and ideas. The company also relies on appropriate national and international partnerships to further develop its projects along the hydrogen value chain, cooperating with decision-makers and thought pioneers in the field. Project in Wildegg-Brugg on track The ambition of Axpo's hydrogen team can also be seen in the planned green hydrogen production plant at Wildegg-Brugg The ambition of Axpo's hydrogen team can also be seen in the planned green hydrogen production plant at Wildegg-Brugg in the Swiss canton of Aargau. After an initial delay in obtaining a building permit, construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2025.  Sustainable supply Axpo’s Bühler added, "While this plant is being built, we’re planning to supply our partner Voegtlin-Meyer’s nearby H2 refueling station with green hydrogen from Axpo’s production facilities in Domat/Ems and, when it comes onstream, Bürglen." The Wildegg-Brugg project aims to contribute to the sustainable supply of green hydrogen for transportation and industrial uses in the surrounding region. Its hydrogen will also fuel Voegtlin-Meyer buses operated on behalf of Switzerland’s PostAuto AG network.

Axpo is renewing and modernizing the facilities of the supra-regional distribution grid at the Wildegg-Brugg power plant in Villnachern. As part of this, Axpo is replacing the existing switchgear due to its age. Construction work will start in spring 2025, and Axpo will further strengthen the security of supply in the region with this modernization.  Supra-regional distribution grid The existing switchgear, which is housed in the Willdegg-Brugg power plant (KWWB), has reached the end of its technical life. Axpo is also increasing the voltage of its supra-regional distribution grid from 50 to 110 kilovolts (kV). For these reasons, the 50 kV air-insulated indoor switchgear will be replaced by a modern and compact 110 kV switchgear. The switchgear will be used to connect and disconnect the connected lines (Umiken, Wildegg and Lupfig) of the supra-regional distribution grid and the KWWB. For operational and technical reasons, the new switchgear will be housed in a new building next to the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Villnachern in the zone for public buildings. The substation will be built on land owned by the municipality of Villnachern, for which the municipality has granted Axpo a building lease. Optimizing visual integration The Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations (ESTI) approved the construction in August 2024 The Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations (ESTI) approved the construction in August 2024. Due to conditions relating to vegetation and soil moisture, it is not possible to start construction in autumn/winter. Construction work is therefore scheduled to begin in spring 2025. The new substation is scheduled to be commissioned in 2026.  The building was designed in consultation with the municipality of Villnachern and Pro Natura in order to optimize its visual integration into the landscape. It will consist largely of wooden elements. The site will also be enhanced with ecological infrastructure. Once built, the facility will not generate any additional emissions such as noise or traffic. It will be operated and monitored remotely. Increasing transmission capacity Axpo is gradually increasing the operating voltage of its supra-regional distribution grid from 50 to 110 kV in order to adapt it to future requirements. The voltage conversion will increase the transmission capacity of the grid and reduce grid losses by 75 per cent. The operating voltage of the grid in the Unteres Aaretal/Brugg region is also being converted. An important part of this is the renewal of the Villnachern substation.