New energy strategies & grid expansion
Some grid expansion and renewal programmes are indispensable and their implementation must be given top priority - irrespective of the energy strategy chosen. They are needed to eliminate existing congestion. Moreover, when the nuclear power plants are shut down in 2019 there will be a gap in the energy balance that will have to be closed. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy suggests three alternatives: the expansion of fossil-central power plants (gas-fired and combined-cycle power plants), the expansion of fossil-decentral power plants (co-generation plants) or the expansion of renewable energy sources. The following consequences will arise for the expanded transmission system, depending on which variant is pursued:
- Variant «Fossil-central and Renewable»
The first priority is to expand the systems that transport energy to the pumped storage power plants in the Alps and back to the consumer centres
- Variant «Fossil-decentral and Renewable» and Variant «Renewable»
Because of the need to import base-load energy, the power lines from central Switzerland to the neighbouring countries to the north urgently need to be expanded. The already prioritised and planned expansions, such as the connection of pumped storage power plants, need to be implemented additionally. To connect major renewable energy sources, such as the wind farms in Northern Europe, corresponding supply lines also need to be built.
In 2013, Swissgrid will present up a strategic grid plan 2035, which will demonstrate in detail the effects of the new energy strategy on the power line projects.
