Switzerland-based renewable energy provider Axpo in partnership with energy company EWS, a unit of Axpo, has announced plans to build a nine-megawatt peak (MWp) ground-mounted solar plant in the Schwyz canton.

Alpin Solar Ybrig is proposed to be constructed on a 9ha area on existing pastureland in the Roggenegg region.

The partners intend to collaborate with landowner Genossame Schwyz to develop this alpine solar plant in the municipality of Oberiberg.

It is part of the federal government’s effort to accelerate the construction of solar plants to provide a significant amount of electricity during winter.

This will be the canton’s first alpine plant, and it is said to make a significant addition to the region’s winter power supply in the future.

The project is expected to produce 12GWh a year, providing sufficient electricity to power an estimated 2,600 houses. The plant will be built using EWS’s current distribution grid infrastructure.

Construction work is anticipated to begin late next year and is subject to positive voting results.

The initial partial commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2025, with complete commissioning in the following years.

Axpo Switzerland solar head Oliver Hugi said: “The plant in the canton of Schwyz will enable us, together with EWS and Genossame Schwyz, to add another project to Axpo’s solar offensive, alongside the other two major solar projects, NalpSolar and Ovra Solara Magriel in the Disentis ski resort.

“By having plants like these in the mountains, as well as ambitious projects in the Swiss Plateau, we want to build more than 1.2GW of solar capacity in Switzerland and invest further in the development of renewable energies in the country. We need strong partners to do this. We look forward to working with the two partners."