Which energy storage projects have been commissioned in Switzerland?

Axpo commissioned its BESS in February this year while utility Thurplus commissioned a 3MW system in September last year. But Switzerland was the location for one of the largest energy storage projects commissioned in recent years, a 20GWh pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) unit which started operations in June 2022 in the Canton of Valais.

Is Bess being monetised in the Swiss electricity market?

It is being monetised in the Swiss electricity market by both CKW, part of Axpo, and utility Alpiq, the announcement said. The BESS is part of a network of power plants, consumers and batteries, it added. The large-scale BESS market in Switzerland has been relatively quiet with renewable penetration on the country’s grid still relatively low.

What is the future of electricity storage in Switzerland?

One important pillar of this strategy is the further development of electricity storage capacity in Switzerland. In the next years, three large-scale pumped hydro storage power plants will be connected to the grid. The first, the Limmern pumped storage plant (1 GW), should become operational in 2016.

What is EWS' Bess project?

EWS’ BESS project has primarily been deployed to help transmission system operator (TSO) Swissgrid keep the grid stable, via the provision of frequency response services to maintain a 50hz frequency. It is being monetised in the Swiss electricity market by both CKW, part of Axpo, and utility Alpiq, the announcement said.