FINHAUT-EMOSSON, SWITZERLAND - Switzerland is among the world's wealthiest countries, but its reliance on Russian gas and French nuclear power - both in short supply - has it bracing for power shortages and even blackouts this winter.
While other European countries are also feeling the sting, the situation is particularly precarious in Switzerland, which lacks its own gas storage installations. Bern has been working to build up Switzerland's energy production and storage systems, but even the grand opening next month of a new, powerful pumped-storage hydroelectric plant is unlikely to help avoid problems this winter.The Nant de Drance plant is located in a cavern 600m below ground at an altitude of 1,700m, just a few kilometres from Mont Blanc, Western Europe's highest peak.
It produces energy in the traditional way during demand peaks by sending water from the higher Vieux-Emosson reservoir plunging down into the Emosson reservoir below. The plant"usefully supplements a renewable electricity production that remains too low", said Mr Nicolas Wuthrich of nature preservation group Pro Natura.
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