Grid-scale

Alpiq secures Swissgrid approval for 300 MW/1.2 GWh battery project

Swiss utility Alpiq has secured preliminary grid connection approval from Swissgrid for a 300 MW/1.2 GWh battery energy storage project that is scheduled to enter operation in 2029.

By

Gwenaelle Deboutte

Jul 02, 2026

Swiss utility Alpiq has secured preliminary approval from transmission system operator Swissgrid to connect a 300 MW/1.2 GWh battery energy storage system (BESS) to the national grid at Niedergösgen in the canton of Solothurn.

The project will be built near the Gösgen run-of-river hydropower plant and is expected to be one of the largest battery storage facilities in Switzerland. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with commissioning planned for 2029.

Designed to provide up to four hours of storage, the BESS will support grid flexibility and the integration of renewable energy. Alpiq said the system will have enough stored energy to meet the electricity needs of about 500,000 households.

The project forms part of Alpiq’s strategy to expand its portfolio of flexible energy assets, which includes stakes in the Grande Dixence hydropower scheme and the Nant de Drance and FMHL pumped hydro storage plants. The company is also developing a pumped hydro storage project in Spain.

Alpiq said its battery storage development pipeline now exceeds 1 GW across several European markets. About one-third of that capacity is already operational (130 MW) or under construction (230 MW), and the company aims to expand its battery storage portfolio to several gigawatts over the coming years.

From pv magazine France

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Written by

Gwenaelle Deboutte

Gwénaëlle has been a journalist for over 15 years and heads the editorial team of the pv magazine France website and its French-language newsletter. Since 2015, she has been covering developments in the renewable energy sector for the professional press. In parallel, she reports on economics and industrial policy in Europe.

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