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Swiss windmill, Valais

Morges, Vaud and Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Romande Energie, which serves electricity to much of French-speaking Switzerland and ewz, the energy company of the city of Zurich, are joining force to create a consortium that will build the country’s largest wind generating station if the project is approved. The two groups presented their plans Wednesday morning 17 June, for a project to build windmills in three Vaud villages in the Jura, Provence, Romairon, Fantanezier and the village of Val-de-Travers in canton Neuchatel.

The windmills should be operating by 2013 and could provide enough energy for 45,000 households, some 160 million kWh a year, based on an average use of 3,600 kWh a year for a household.

The new consortium, with Romande Energie holding 60 percent, met this week with the owners of the land concerned and if they as well as the communes give their agreement, the next step will be a financial feasibility review and environmental impact studies.

The two companies are investing CHF240 million in the project.

The project is part of Romande Energie’s commitment to have 10 percent of its electricity come from sustainable energy sources by 2020 or 2025, which represents 250-300 kWh a year. Zurich aims to provide 3-6 percent of its electricity supply this way by 2018: 100-200 kWh a year.