Grid

While the technical/operational implementation of partial market liberalisation was accomplished without any notable problems in the transmission system, recent developments are causing concern from the standpoint of Switzerland's energy security. Licensing procedures for high-voltage line projects have been slow-paced.

Transfer of the transmission system to swissgrid at the end of 2011

Alpiq has been building its own high-voltage electricity networks for more than 80 years and owns more than one third of the transmission grid, making it Switzerland's largest transmission system owner. So, when it comes to networks, and especially the transmission network, Alpiq is particularly affected by the consequences of market liberalisation. Since 2008, the national grid company, swissgrid, has been responsible for operation of the transmission grid, and ownership of Switzerland's entire transmission system must be transferred to swissgrid by the end of 2011.

ElCom ruling before the Federal Administrative Court

Under the regulations governing the electricity market and in accordance with official rulings on transmission charges and ancillary services, Swiss power plants with a generation capacity of 50 MW or more must bear a substantial part of the costs for ancillary services (also referred to as "system services"). Alpiq expects the additional annual costs to run into the high double-digit millions.

Alpiq has decided to ask the Federal Administrative Court to examine the individual aspects of the ElCom ruling. In particular, the Court is being asked to clarify whether the Electricity Supply Act permits a sizeable proportion of the costs for ancillary services – i.e. services that serve to ensure the stability of the high-voltage transmission system – to be imputed to power plants with a capacity in excess of 50 MW without any entitlement to pass these costs on.

Closing line gaps

The most important high-voltage line project is for the double-strand 380 kV line between Chamoson and Chippis in the canton of Valais. The dossier is now in the hands of the Federal Office of Energy. Implementation of this line will complete the Swiss 380 kV network from West to East and from North to South. Rather than installing a new line, an existing line will be reinforced so as to enable 120 kilometres of lines in the Rhone Valley to be dismantled. In addition, the 220 kV line section between Mettlen and Plattischachen in the Reuss Valley, canton of Uri, was relaid.

It is therefore important for Alpiq to arrange the transfer of the transmission system and the division of responsibilities with swissgrid in good time, and to ensure that the remaining network activities as well as those transferred to swissgrid remain competitive well into the future.