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Ambitious nuclear and rooftop solar expansion to avoid landscape-impacting wind and alpine solar units
landscape
Preserving landscapes
Protect natural, unspoiled areas by avoiding large-scale energy projects
nuclear
Leveraging nuclear energy
New nuclear power plants ensure a long-term, climate-neutral electricity supply
sun
Expanding rooftop solar
Massive installation of rooftop PV systems without impacting the landscape
energy_export
Minimizing imports
Limited but necessary electricity imports to cover the winter power shortfall
Energy Mix
Production
Demand
Production
2025
Total generation 73 TWh
2050
Total generation 106 TWh
Demand
2025
Total demand 63 TWh
2050
Total demand 88 TWh

Pros and Cons
Pros:
    Cons:
      The assumed electricity production and demand in 2050

      Pros:
        Cons:
          Transition
          The energy mix as we transition to 2050
          Demand
          Import
          Import limit exceeded
          PV
          Wind
          Hydro
          Biomass
          Geothermal
          Nuclear
          Fossil
          2025 Winter
          TWh
          Demand
          36.1
          Deficit
          --
          Import
          3.6
          Import limit exceeded
          --
          Storage reserve used
          --
          PV
          3
          PV Roof
          2.9
          PV Alpine
          0
          PV Ground
          0
          Wind
          0.1
          Hydro
          15.1
          Run-of-River
          6.3
          Storage
          8.8
          Biomass
          1.1
          Biomass
          1.1
          CCS Biomass
          0
          Gas
          --
          Market-Gas
          0
          Reserve gas power plants
          0
          Geothermal
          --
          Nuclear
          12.2
          Nuclear
          12.2
          New nuclear
          0
          Fossil
          0.9
          Existing fossil fuel power plants
          0.9
          CCS Fossil Fuels
          0
          Hard coal
          0
          Challenges
          warning
          Import limits exceeded
          The energy law limits our imports to 5 TWh. This will be exceeded in 2020 - 2046.
          nuclear
          Landscape preservation
          Avoiding impacts on natural landscapes restricts the expansion of renewable energy projects
          people
          Delays due to opposition
          Projects are delayed or blocked by opposition and public referenda
          nuclear
          Technological and investment risks
          Building new nuclear power plants is currently banned and involves high economic risks for investors
          sun
          Dependence on rooftop PV
          Missing winter energy from ground-mounted or alpine solar must be compensated through rooftop PV and imports
          About the scenario developer
          Axpo
          Axpo
          Axpo is Switzerland's largest power producer and an international leader in energy trading as well as in the marketing of solar and wind power. Around 7,000 employees combine experience and expertise with a passion for innovation and the pursuit of ever better solutions. The “Renewables” scenario is one of several official scenarios from Axpo for a renewable energy future for Switzerland.
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          Axpo Renewables A balanced build-out of renewables, focusing on solar and wind. Green gas as winter-backup

          Legend

          HydroPVNuclearWindGasBiomassFossilGeothermal Other
          D : Demand • P : Production • Δ : Production Surplus
          Energy Law ("Mantelerlass") Targets of 35 TWh of renewable energy by 2035 and 45 TWh by 2050, plus 6 TWh of renewable winter electricity, of which 2 TWh hydropower

          Legend

          HydroPVNuclearWindGasBiomassFossilGeothermal Other
          D : Demand • P : Production • Δ : Production Surplus
          Business as usual Without increased investments, winter imports will rise to unsustainable levels, making blackouts likely after the nuclear shutdown

          Legend

          HydroPVNuclearWindGasBiomassFossilGeothermal Other
          D : Demand • P : Production • Δ : Production Surplus
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          Methodology reviewed by ETH Zürich