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Where planes take off today, electricity will soon also be produced: at Bern Airport.
Electricity for 15,000 households from the largest open-space solar array in Switzerland. A project launched by the Bernese energy company BKW and Bern Airport on Friday promises nothing less.
Photovoltaic panels are to be installed on 25 hectares next to the take-off and landing runway of the regional airport. According to a feasibility study, up to 35 gigawatt hours of electricity per year can be generated there, a third of that in winter. The investment costs for the Belpmoossolar project amount to around 30 million Swiss francs, as stated in the press release from the two companies.
Potential not only in the Alps
In the last few months, gigantic solar systems have been a topic, especially in the Alps. Showpieces are the planned systems in Gondo VS and Grengiols VS. Because from there one hopes to get solar power in winter, which is particularly important because Switzerland has to import part of its electricity in winter.
According to BKW and Bern Airport, however, their project shows that there are also suitable locations for large open-space systems in the Mittelland. Bern would not be the first airport to produce solar power on its premises. Vienna Airport already has an open-air facility with similar dimensions.
One advantage is definitely that the connection to the power grid is easier and therefore cheaper to manage than in the high Alps, where the appropriate cables first have to be laid. The project also makes sense from another point of view: There is no farmland in the airport area, nor are other uses possible for planning and aviation reasons – at least as long as the airport exists.
Canton wants to move forward quickly
Now the project planning and approval phase begins. From now on, Bern Airport and BKW are dependent on the procedures being carried out quickly. Initial talks with the responsible authorities have already taken place. And they seem to have gone well.
“The canton of Bern has a great interest in the expansion of renewable energies,” says government councilor Evi Allemann (44, SP). And at Bern-Belp Airport, the legal zoning conditions are favourable. “We will therefore tackle the anchoring in the canton’s structure plan as quickly as possible, including weighing up interests, in order to create a good basis for the project.”
Electricity will probably flow from 2028
The city of Bern has also responded positively: the project is in line with the city’s sustainability goals and will lead to higher building lease interest. “As the landowner, we will play a constructive role in the further project work,” says municipal councilor Michael Aebersold (60, SP), president of the municipal fund for soil and housing policy.
Benjamin Marti (52, SVP), Mayor of Belp, is really enthusiastic: “Belp is making a significant contribution to achieving the climate goals at a central location in the Mittelland. The airport community will support the project with full conviction,” he says.
BKW anticipates that the approval process for the city and canton will take around three to four years. The construction period is expected to be nine to twelve months. Means: Electricity from the Belpmoos should flow from 2028. (sf)