Federal government selects five reserve power plants
The Federal Council will conclude contracts with service providers for the operation of five reserve power plants. With a total capacity of 583 megawatts, they will guarantee security of supply from 2026.
Following its meeting on 14 May 2025, the Federal Council will conclude contracts with energy service providers for the operation of five reserve power plants. According to a press release, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy(SFOE) has conducted direct negotiations with potential providers in advance. Following the end of the tendering process in February 2025, the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications(DETEC) decided to select five projects with a total capacity of 583 megawatts (MW).
The selected projects include the reserve power plant Monthey VS with 55 MW from CIMO, the reserve power plant Sisslerfeld 1 in the municipality of Eiken AG with 13 MW from Getec, the reserve power plant Stein AG with 44 MW from Getec, the reserve power plant Sisslerfeld 2 in Eiken AG with 180 MW from Sidewinder and the reserve power plant Auhafen in Muttenz BL with 291 MW from Axpo. All five plants will run on CO2-neutral fuel, according to the press release.
The five projects should be ready for operation between 2027 and 2030. For the transition, DETEC is currently working on variants using hydropower, emergency power generators and consumption reserves.