401:-generators in the power plant. The large underground power house measures 194 m (636 ft) long, 52 m (171 ft) high and 32 m (105 ft) wide. After generating power, water from the power plant is discharged to the lower reservoir, releasing up to 20 GWh of energy. When power demand is low, such as at night, the turbines reverse and water can be pumped back up to the upper reservoir for use during high demand periods. As such, it serves as a
359:
714:
742:
330:
29:
728:
386:, is formed by a 45 m (148 ft) tall and 170 m (560 ft) long arch dam originally completed in 1955. The dam is 65 m (213 ft) tall. Lac du Vieux Emosson's storage capacity is 25,000,000 m (20,000 acre⋅ft) and has a surface area of 55 ha (140 acres). When full, the upper reservoir lies 2,225 m (7,300 ft) above sea level.
341:
granted a building permit to Nant de Drance SA for the construction of the plant with a 600 MW design. Preliminary construction began in
September 2008 but a concession was granted in April 2011 which allowed for a larger 900 MW plant. Excavation of the tunnels began in 2009 and the caverns commenced
378:
which was completed in 1974. It withholds a reservoir with a storage capacity of 227,000,000 m (184,000 acre⋅ft) and surface area of 327 ha (810 acres). The lower reservoir is 4 km (2.5 mi) long and when full, lies 1,930 m (6,330 ft) above sea level.
338:
770:
349:
In
December 2014, at the International Tunnelling & Underground Space Awards, the project was awarded the Major Tunnelling Project of the Year award in the category of projects over US$ 500 million.
765:
795:
393:
hydroelectric method. To accomplish this, when energy demand is high, water is released from the upper reservoir, down a series of 425 m (1,394 ft)
775:
408:
Under the guidance of AF-Consult
Switzerland Ltd as general planner, the civil engineering works were carried out by GMI (a joint venture of Marti and
600:
70:
653:
473:
689:
790:
578:
627:
433:
287:. Construction on the power plant began in 2008 and it began operations in 2022. It is owned by Nant de Drance SA, a consortium of
549:
671:
780:
521:
343:
307:
317:(FMV) (10%). The US$ 1.9 billion plant has an installed capacity of 900 MW and an energy storage capacity of 20
280:
54:
296:
747:
292:
268:
601:"The Nant de Drance project wins at the International Tunnelling & Underground Space Awards 2014"
383:
158:
402:
785:
719:
226:
445:
367:
358:
181:
398:
631:
312:
390:
371:
264:
239:
201:
759:
329:
28:
733:
553:
219:
370:, is formed by the 180 m (590 ft) tall, 555 m (1,821 ft) long
346:
excavation was completed in April 2014. The first generators were tested in 2017.
741:
130:
709:
366:
The power plant uses two existing reservoirs to operate. The lower reservoir,
85:
72:
727:
654:"20GWh pumped hydro energy storage plant starting operations in Switzerland"
474:"20GWh pumped hydro energy storage plant starting operations in Switzerland"
449:
690:"The Nant de Drance Hydropower Scheme – brief overview of the civil works"
342:
in 2010. Raising of the upper Vieux
Emosson Dam began in Spring 2013. The
409:
394:
375:
284:
232:
215:
339:
Federal
Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications
276:
50:
498:
272:
58:
134:
357:
328:
288:
522:"RPT-Cavernous Swiss power plant undermined by renewable energy"
362:
The plant will be located between the upper and lower reservoirs
333:
Lac du Vieux
Emosson will be raised and form the upper reservoir
301:
318:
245:
434:"How giant 'water batteries' could make green power reliable"
771:
Pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations in
Switzerland
412:) and the electro-mechanical works were done by GE Hydro.
389:
The power plant is between both reservoirs and uses the
238:
225:
210:
200:
195:
187:
177:
172:
164:
154:
149:
141:
125:
117:
109:
101:
64:
46:
38:
21:
275:in Switzerland. It is within the municipality of
283:and about 14 km (8.7 mi) southwest of
552:(in French). Nante de Drance SA. Archived from
630:(in French). Nant de Drance SA. Archived from
544:
542:
8:
766:Hydroelectric power stations in Switzerland
672:"Inside Switzerland's giant water battery"
499:"Projet Initié Par Alpiq, CFF, IWB ET FMV"
27:
18:
427:
425:
191:227,000,000 m (184,000 acre⋅ft)
796:Energy infrastructure under construction
622:
620:
618:
573:
571:
421:
168:25,000,000 m (20,000 acre⋅ft)
33:Lac d'Emosson forms the lower reservoir
520:De Clercq, Geert (1 September 2014).
7:
468:
466:
692:. Engineers' Journal. 20 March 2018
382:The upper reservoir for the plant,
776:Buildings and structures in Valais
432:Kunzig, Robert (25 January 2024).
14:
740:
726:
712:
261:Nant de Drance Hydropower Plant
501:(in French). Nant de Drance SA
1:
397:to the six 150 MW reversible
337:On 25 August 2008, the Swiss
603:. BG Group. 11 December 2014
550:"A New Pumped Storage Plant"
16:Dam in Saint-Maurice, Valais
628:"The Heart of the Mountain"
308:Forces Motrices Valaisannes
812:
791:Underground power stations
252:
26:
297:Industrielle Werke Basel
206:295 m (968 ft)
748:Renewable energy portal
450:10.1126/science.z3a3pmq
344:underground power house
227:Installed capacity
110:Construction began
363:
334:
240:Annual generation
126:Construction cost
405:with 80% efficiency.
361:
332:
267:power station in the
253:20 GWh energy storage
384:Lac du Vieux Emosson
159:Lac du Vieux Emosson
86:46.06361°N 6.91000°E
781:Dams in Switzerland
678:. 3 September 2021.
658:Energy Storage News
478:Energy Storage News
403:peaking power plant
188:Total capacity
165:Total capacity
82: /
720:Switzerland portal
556:on 10 October 2017
364:
335:
257:
256:
145:Nant de Drance SA
129:US$ 2.1 billion (
118:Opening date
91:46.06361; 6.91000
803:
750:
745:
744:
736:
731:
730:
722:
717:
716:
715:
702:
701:
699:
697:
686:
680:
679:
676:SWI swissinfo.ch
668:
662:
661:
650:
644:
643:
641:
639:
624:
613:
612:
610:
608:
597:
591:
590:
588:
586:
579:"Nant de Drance"
575:
566:
565:
563:
561:
546:
537:
536:
534:
532:
517:
511:
510:
508:
506:
495:
489:
488:
486:
485:
470:
461:
460:
458:
456:
429:
316:
305:
97:
96:
94:
93:
92:
87:
83:
80:
79:
78:
75:
31:
19:
811:
810:
806:
805:
804:
802:
801:
800:
756:
755:
754:
753:
746:
739:
732:
725:
718:
713:
711:
706:
705:
695:
693:
688:
687:
683:
670:
669:
665:
660:. 29 June 2022.
652:
651:
647:
637:
635:
634:on 24 July 2017
626:
625:
616:
606:
604:
599:
598:
594:
584:
582:
577:
576:
569:
559:
557:
548:
547:
540:
530:
528:
519:
518:
514:
504:
502:
497:
496:
492:
483:
481:
472:
471:
464:
454:
452:
431:
430:
423:
418:
399:Francis turbine
356:
327:
310:
299:
211:Pump-generators
173:Lower reservoir
150:Upper reservoir
90:
88:
84:
81:
76:
73:
71:
69:
68:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
809:
807:
799:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
773:
768:
758:
757:
752:
751:
737:
723:
708:
707:
704:
703:
681:
663:
645:
614:
592:
567:
538:
512:
490:
462:
420:
419:
417:
414:
391:pumped-storage
355:
352:
326:
323:
279:, district of
265:pumped-storage
255:
254:
250:
249:
242:
236:
235:
229:
223:
222:
212:
208:
207:
204:
202:Hydraulic head
198:
197:
193:
192:
189:
185:
184:
179:
175:
174:
170:
169:
166:
162:
161:
156:
152:
151:
147:
146:
143:
139:
138:
127:
123:
122:
119:
115:
114:
113:September 2008
111:
107:
106:
103:
99:
98:
66:
62:
61:
48:
44:
43:
40:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
22:Nant de Drance
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
808:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
767:
764:
763:
761:
749:
743:
738:
735:
729:
724:
721:
710:
691:
685:
682:
677:
673:
667:
664:
659:
655:
649:
646:
633:
629:
623:
621:
619:
615:
602:
596:
593:
580:
574:
572:
568:
555:
551:
545:
543:
539:
527:
523:
516:
513:
500:
494:
491:
479:
475:
469:
467:
463:
451:
447:
443:
439:
435:
428:
426:
422:
415:
413:
411:
406:
404:
400:
396:
392:
387:
385:
380:
377:
373:
369:
368:Lac d'Emosson
360:
353:
351:
347:
345:
340:
331:
324:
322:
320:
314:
309:
303:
298:
294:
290:
286:
282:
281:Saint-Maurice
278:
274:
270:
266:
262:
251:
247:
243:
241:
237:
234:
230:
228:
224:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
203:
199:
196:Power Station
194:
190:
186:
183:
182:Lac d'Emosson
180:
176:
171:
167:
163:
160:
157:
153:
148:
144:
140:
136:
133:1.9 billion,
132:
128:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
95:
67:
63:
60:
56:
55:Saint-Maurice
52:
49:
45:
41:
37:
30:
25:
20:
734:Water portal
694:. Retrieved
684:
675:
666:
657:
648:
636:. Retrieved
632:the original
605:. Retrieved
595:
583:. Retrieved
558:. Retrieved
554:the original
529:. Retrieved
525:
515:
503:. Retrieved
493:
482:. Retrieved
480:. 2022-06-29
477:
453:. Retrieved
441:
437:
407:
388:
381:
365:
348:
336:
260:
258:
220:Francis-type
137:1.5 billion)
372:Émosson Dam
311: [
300: [
218:reversible
105:Operational
89: /
65:Coordinates
42:Switzerland
760:Categories
696:31 October
638:11 January
607:11 January
585:11 January
560:11 January
531:11 January
505:11 January
484:2022-07-02
455:8 February
416:References
325:Background
306:(15%) and
77:06°54′36″E
74:46°03′49″N
786:Arch dams
395:penstocks
121:July 2022
444:(6681).
410:Implenia
376:arch dam
285:Martigny
214:6 x 150
142:Owner(s)
47:Location
581:. Alpiq
526:Reuters
438:Science
295:(36%),
291:(39%),
277:Finhaut
178:Creates
155:Creates
51:Finhaut
39:Country
354:Design
273:Valais
269:canton
248:(est.)
244:2,500
102:Status
59:Valais
374:, an
315:]
304:]
289:Alpiq
263:is a
698:2018
640:2015
609:2015
587:2015
562:2015
533:2015
507:2015
457:2024
259:The
231:900
446:doi
442:383
319:GWh
293:SBB
271:of
246:GWh
131:CHF
762::
674:.
656:.
617:^
570:^
541:^
524:.
476:.
465:^
440:.
436:.
424:^
321:.
313:fr
302:de
233:MW
216:MW
57:,
53:,
700:.
642:.
611:.
589:.
564:.
535:.
509:.
487:.
459:.
448::
135:€
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
