08/10/2024
Switzerland's Federal Office of Transport (FOT) has approved the country's first removable solar power plant for railway lines. Developed by Swiss startup Sun-ways, the pilot project will be installed next year on a 100-meter section of the transN railway in Neuchâtel.
The system will feature 48 solar panels, producing 18 kW of electricity, which will feed into the local grid. The project, costing €621,800 ($685,920), is a collaboration with electricity provider Viteos and railway specialist DG-Rail.
Sun-ways plans to use a specialized machine from Scheuchzer SA to install the panels, capable of covering 1,000 m² per day. The panels can be easily removed for maintenance.