Swissgrid takes over the Swiss transmission grid
04.01.2013 | from swissgrid AG
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04.01.2013, With the transfer entered in the commercial register on 3 January 2013, Swissgrid became the new owner of the Swiss transmission grid. This is a significant milestone in the history of the Swiss electricity industry. Now Swissgrid, the transmission system operator, will no longer just be responsible for operating the grid, but also for maintaining, modernising and expanding it.
The company and the transmission grid’s previous owners started the complex process of transferring the grid in 2009. By mid-December 2012, the parties had signed the contract that covered all key aspects of the grid transfer. The only exception is ewz, due to an ongoing proceeding with ElCom. Therefore, ewz is taking part in a separate procedure, along with several other minor parties.
The Swiss Council of Ministers approved already Swissgrid’s new articles of association in December. Swissgrid’s capital increase was entered in the commercial register on 3 January 2013. This represents a huge step forward in horizontally unbundling the electricity market and fulfilling the mandate stipulated in the Electricity Supply Act. «The grid transfer is an unprecedented project in the history of the Swiss electricity industry», stressed Swissgrid CEO Pierre-Alain Graf. «It placed high demands on all the stakeholders for three years and was only successfully completed because all the parties involved worked closely and constructively together.»
«Swissgrid is embarking on a new era as the grid owner», said Pierre Alain Graf. The grid transfer has increased the number of Swissgrid shareholders from 8 electricity companies Alpiq AG, Alpiq Suisse SA, Axpo Power AG, Axpo Trading AG, BKW FMB Energie AG, CKW AG, ewz and Repower AG to 17.
Swissgrid has assumed overall responsibility for the Swiss transmission grid as its owner, and will now be handling all key activities itself: At the moment Swissgrid is developing a comprehensive strategy for the long term development of the extra high voltage grid. The company is now also responsible for maintenance, grid modernisation and expansion projects. Swissgrid’s goal is to speed up the modernisation of the grid as much as possible in order to effectively support the implementation of Switzerland’s Energy Strategy 2050.
Media Contact:
Swissgrid Media Service Dammstrasse 3 P.O. Box 22 CH-5070 Frick media@swissgrid.ch www.swissgrid.ch Phone +41 58 580 24 00 Fax +41 58 580 24 94
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Source: swissgrid AG, Press release