Construction of a solar plant at 2000 metres
EKZ, Repower and the municipality of Klosters officially started construction work on the Madrisa Solar power plant on 4 June. Located at an altitude of around 2000 metres, it will have a production capacity of 12 megawatts. It is intended to help close the winter electricity gap.
Construction of the Madrisa Solar project by Repower, Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Zürich(EKZ) and the municipality of Klosters has begun, according to a joint announcement by the partners. A solar plant with a production capacity of 12 megawatts is being built at an altitude of around 2000 metres above Klosters. It is expected to supply around 17 gigawatt hours of electricity per year. Over 40 per cent of this will be generated in winter. The electricity produced will be purchased by EKZ for customers in its own supply area and the Klosters-Madrisa mountain railway.
After the population of the municipality of Klosters voted in favour of Madrisa Solar in October 2023, the first preparatory work began in autumn 2024. Predominantly regional companies were commissioned with the planning and realisation of Madrisa Solar. Around 15 per cent of the plant should be in operation by the end of 2025. Full commissioning is planned for the end of 2027.
“After an intensive planning phase and a challenging approval process with many parties involved, we are very pleased with the start,” said Michael Roth, Head of Production & Grid at Repower and member of the Executive Board. Paul Sidler, Head of Renewable Energies at EKZ, describes Madrisa Solar as “a further commitment to a secure and sustainable electricity supply in Switzerland. This complex pioneering project also makes an important contribution to the urgently needed winter electricity.”