The security of the electricity supply in Switzerland in the winter of 2022/2023 is not seriously endangered, according to an investigation that the Federal Council took note of on Wednesday. However, supply bottlenecks cannot be ruled out.
The study was commissioned by the Federal Office for Energy and accompanied by the Electricity Commission (ElCom) and the Federal Office for National Economic Supply (BWL).
Different scenarios with different availability of gas and nuclear power plants have been investigated and simulated. Combinations of meteorological conditions and power plant failures were also examined and the probability of bottlenecks was calculated. “The results show that the measures decided by the Federal Council make an important contribution to the energy supply in winter,” said the Federal Council statement.
It also took into account decisions taken by EU countries by the end of July 2022, for example the return of German coal-fired power plants from the reserve to the market or the extension of the operating times of Belgian nuclear power plants. Subsequent decisions such as calls for savings, measures against high energy prices in the EU or the continued operation of three German nuclear power plants until spring 2023 were not taken into account (SDA/sie)