Electricity reserves are still needed in Switzerland
The Federal Electricity Commission believes that winter reserves, particularly hydroelectric reserves, must continue to be built up.
Security of electricity supply should be guaranteed next winter, but uncertainties remain, the Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom) estimated on Thursday. This is why, according to the commission, reservations are still required.
This situation is linked to gas availability in Europe. "Due to the relatively low level of European reservoirs and limited market incentives, there are uncertainties regarding the pace and extent of reservoir filling," ElCom emphasizes. Doubts also remain regarding the global gas market, particularly due to geopolitical developments.
On the other hand, "the forecasts for the high availability of French nuclear power plants are positive," it states. The continued development of renewable energies can also contribute to security of supply. "But last winter showed the extent to which weather conditions can influence electricity supply at the European level," ElCom cautions.
The Federal Electricity Commission therefore considers that preventive measures in the form of winter reserves (hydroelectric reserves and thermal reserves) are still indicated.
Looking ahead, security of supply is not expected to improve by 2035, according to ElCom. It therefore recommends maintaining reserves of at least 500 MW for 2030 and 700 to 1,400 MW for 2035. "It cannot be ruled out that additional reserves will be necessary by 2035, particularly in a scenario involving a significant reduction in import capacity, i.e. without an electricity agreement with the European Union (EU)," it added.
Switzerland's supply last winter was heavily influenced by electricity production in neighboring countries, ElCom also reports. On the one hand, our country benefited from good import opportunities, thanks to the high availability of French nuclear power plants. On the other hand, the storage lakes emptied much faster than in previous years, due to low wind power production in Europe and high market prices at the beginning of winter. But despite a below-average dam filling level, the residual storage level at the end of winter was still significantly higher than the acquired hydroelectric reserve, ElCom is pleased to report.
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