Switzerland's Largest Battery Hub Goes Live in Uri — 58.4 MW at Plattischachen

Axpo and Energie Uri have brought a 58.4-megawatt battery complex into operation at the Plattischachen site in Gurtnellen, canton Uri, creating Switzerland's largest battery storage facility to date. Designed to absorb surplus renewable electricity and feed it back into the grid when demand rises, the twin installations mark a major step in the country's energy transition.

Project Details

The Plattischachen site is composed of two collocated battery energy storage systems (BESS): a 50 MW system developed by Axpo and an 8.4 MW system operated by Energie Uri. Axpo has designed its installation to provide roughly two hours of discharge capacity, and both systems were supplied by Fluence.

How the Systems Will Be Used

Axpo's 50 MW installation is expected to serve primarily the national Swiss market, helping balance supply across the grid. Energie Uri's 8.4 MW system will be managed with the canton's local needs in mind, providing targeted support for Uri's public services and critical infrastructure.

Benefits For The Grid And Community

Large-scale batteries like those at Plattischachen are increasingly important as solar and wind generation grow. Because renewables produce variable output over the day, storage systems can hold surplus generation and release it at peak times, reducing the need for costly backup generation. That steadier power flow supports transit systems, hospitals, schools and other essential services while enabling cleaner energy to play a larger role in the mix.

Local advantages include technology transfer, contracts for Uri-based companies and strengthened regional employment. Hermann Epp, Uri's construction director, said the installations have turned the industrial area into an "energy hub of national importance," bringing both economic and technological benefits to the canton.

Broader Context

The Plattischachen hub comes amid a global build-out of energy storage. Axpo is expanding its battery-storage footprint across Europe, operating facilities in Switzerland and Sweden and reporting more than 300 MW of battery projects under construction in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Romania. Around the world, utilities and manufacturers are scaling projects, testing new chemistries and pairing storage with solar and wind to absorb variable generation, strengthen grids and phase out older fossil-fuel infrastructure.

• India's rapid solar expansion is increasing demand for long-lasting, fire-resistant battery technologies.
• A new $2 billion battery plant in Michigan aims to supply grid storage and batteries for automotive supply chains.
• Manufacturers such as CATL forecast a major shift toward battery storage within their portfolios over the coming decade.

“Such projects bring technological know-how to the canton, generate contracts for local companies in Uri, and secure jobs in the region,” said Hermann Epp. “Uri benefits from this in ways that go beyond just energy supply.”