Infrastructure investor Avadis Investment Foundation is buying a BESS project in Switzerland which could be the country’s largest when it is scheduled to come online in 2027.
Avadis will acquire the project from developer 49Komma8 AG, with construction set to begin in 2026 for a commercial operation date (COD) the following year.
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The battery energy storage system (BESS) in Bonadu, Graubünden canton, will have a power rating of 50-60MW and an energy storage capacity of 100-120MWh, which the companies claimed made it the largest BESS project in the country.
Investment manager Aquila Capital advised Avadis on the transaction, while its clean energy developer-operator arm Aquila Clean Energy EMEA will support Avadis on the project in the development, construction and operation phases.
Neither Aquila Capital nor Aquila Clean Energy EMEA, which has its own BESS projects in numerous European markets and Australia, appear to be making a capital investment into the project itself.
Markus Wandt, chief investment officer of Aquila Capital, commented: “Due to its size, the planned project sets new standards for energy storage in Switzerland.”
Switzerland is phasing out its nuclear energy fleet and aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. The country’s largest BESS is one from utility EWS and developer MW Storage which the pair recently expanded to 28MW, while a 500MW battery project was recently proposed by developers alongside a data centre and technology hub, although few details were given. Two years ago, a new 900MW/20GWh pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) plant came online in Valais.
