BKW and EDJ build Switzerland's most powerful solar plant
Bern (ots)
BKW and Energie du Jura SA (EDJ) are teaming up with GEFCO Suisse SA to build Switzerland's most powerful photovoltaic installation in Courgenay's industrial zone. The photovoltaic installation will also house the new vehicle fleet of logistics company GEFCO.
The new solar power plant will have an installed capacity of 6.7 MWp and will therefore be Switzerland's most powerful photovoltaic installation. Expected to generate around 6.7 GWh of electricity a year, it will cover the average consumption of over 1,550 households.
The installation will be built on a site measuring 43,000 m² and will also house the car fleet of GEFCO Suisse. This will give rise to a photovoltaic installation the size of four and a half football pitches. The installation will comprise 23,925 modules, which will be fixed onto a specially designed metal structure. The infrastructure is set to cost around CHF 11 million.
A portion of the electricity produced will be directly used on site, in particular to recharge the electric cars imported by GEFCO. The rest will be fed into BKW's network and sold principally under the Energy Green product. The plant's energy production will be certified to meet the growing demand for renewable energy.
Through this ambitious project, which is consistent with the Confederation's Energy Strategy 2050, EDJ, BKW and GEFCO are making a practical contribution to the energy transition. On its own, the plant will cover almost half of the solar power production estimated in the canton of Jura's energy concept between now and 2021.
Building work on the Courgenay solar plant will start this month and the installation is due to be opened in March 2016.
BKW
BKW AG is an international energy and infrastructure business headquartered in Bern. Together with its subsidiaries, the company currently employs just under 4,000 people. The diversity of the company's expertise allows it to offer its customers a full range of tailored services. It plans, builds and operates infrastructure to produce and supply energy for businesses, households and the public sector. The BKW's distribution grid, the largest in Switzerland, provides one million people with a reliable supply of power around the clock. BKW has a strong sense of social responsibility. Alongside its investment in renewable energy, it seeks to make efficient use of resources and is involved in research programmes to develop innovative technologies to support a sustainable, secure future for the supply infrastructure. The registered shares of BKW AG are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the BX Berne eXchange.
Energie du Jura SA (EDJ) EDJ is a public company whose main shareholders represent the public and private sectors (BKW Energy Ltd., the canton of Jura and the town of Delémont), as well as a number of Jura-based parapublic institutions. It was designated by the Jura government as an operational tool for implementation of the cantonal energy strategy. As part of this mission, EDJ supports project owners with the aim of realising new ideas and implementing new projects, particularly in the field of renewable energy production and energy efficiency. EDJ is also mandated by the canton to inform, advise and raise awareness among the population, companies and public bodies about energy in general.
GEFCO
GEFCO works with industrial customers to design and implement logistics solutions as a source of added value to give them a competitive edge. The quality of service GEFCO delivers to its customers draws on 65 years of experience in the automotive industry in particular, which is one of the most complex and challenging sectors. GEFCO operates in 150 countries and is one of the top 10 logistics groups in Europe. It generated revenue of 4.1 billion euros in 2014 and employs 11,500 people. The Group, which has more than 350 locations across the world, is expanding in South East Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, East Asia and Latin America.
Contact:
Tobias Fässler, Head Media Relations BKW, +41 58 477 51 07