New factory site combines energy and network expertise
CKW AG plans to relocate its headquarters from Lucerne to Emmen in the coming years. The first construction projects on Reuss Island could be approved and implemented from 2030 onwards.
CKW AG plans to relocate business divisions from the Reussbühl district of Lucerne to Reussinsel in Emmen, where it will also establish the company’s new headquarters, according to a press release. The Axpo subsidiary intends to use this move to consolidate its activities.
At the heart of the project, known as EnergiePark Emmen, is the construction of a new building for the Networks and Building Technology divisions. CKW’s network base, which will be built there, will be responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of the electricity grid in the greater Lucerne area. The new building will provide modern workplaces for employees. After several years of planning, the Compact project by Penzel Valier AG from Zurich and Maurus Schifferli Landscape Architects from Bern was awarded the contract to build the new company headquarters.
Reuss Island is the historical birthplace of CKW, where the first power plant supplied electricity to the region in 1894. “With the planned relocation of our headquarters to Emmen, we are building on these roots and committing ourselves to Emmen as a location in the long term,” said Martin Schwab, CEO of CKW, in the press release. The relocation of the business divisions and headquarters to Emmen will mean that 1,000 employees will work on Reuss Island in future, instead of the previous 600.
In the coming years, a development plan based on the draft project will be drawn up by the municipality of Emmen. “Together with the municipalities of Emmen and Ebikon, we want to further develop the Reuss island in the interests of all parties involved,” Schwab continued. According to the current status, construction projects could be approved and implemented from 2030, according to the press release.