Margarita Aleksieva tightens the fall protection harness and steps into the lift of the wind turbine. A rickety ride takes her 90 metres up to the nacelle, where the rotor blades of the wind turbine are attached. From here, BKW’s Head of Wind and Solar has a wonderful view across the Apulian plateau in southern Italy. The wind turbine is located in the Castellaneta wind farm. It produces electricity for 800 households – even in winter, when the sun shines less often, even in southern Italy. “We need more wind turbines like this,” says Aleksieva. “Because they help us ensure security of supply with renewable winter electricity.”At the other end of Europe, in the far north of Germany, Fynn Rösch proudly opens the front door of Germany’s tallest timber building. He is a project manager at Assmann Beraten + Planen, BKW Engineering. Roots is located in Hamburg’s HafenCity, a former port area and now a booming new-build district. Together with his team, Fynn Rösch designed the supporting structure of the timber high-rise and planned it down to the last screw. He is pleased that almost all the apartments have already been sold. “The buyers particularly like the fact that a great deal of CO2 was saved thanks to the extensive use of wood,” he says. Construction of the timber high-rise was fast, safe and problem-free thanks to the high degree of prefabrication of the wall and ceiling elements.The wind turbine in southern Italy produces renewable electricity; the timber building in northern Germany consumes as little of it as possible. The two projects on the edges of Europe represent the beginning and the end of the entire value chain in the new energy world. This value chain extends from the renewable production of energy to its trading and distribution, through to its efficient use in infrastructure and buildings. BKW is also committed to a climate-friendly energy future – and has been for more than 125 years. Founded in 1898 for the construction of the Hagneck hydropower plant on Lake Biel, BKW has the production and distribution of renewable electricity in its DNA.BKW is now aligning itself even more consistently with the new energy world. To this end, it launched the “Solutions 2030” strategy in November 2024. With its three business areas Energy Solutions, Power Grid and Infrastructure & Buildings, it offers its customers forward-looking solutions for all aspects of the energy transition. And BKW aims to grow significantly with its strategy. By 2030, it will increase its EBIT to one billion Swiss francs and invest around four billion Swiss francs over the next six years to achieve this – half of it in Switzerland.One billion Swiss francs alone will flow into the distribution grid of the future. Our aim is not only to generate electricity sustainably and use it efficiently, but also to transport it reliably from the wind turbine to the socket. Even more importantly, however, with the increasing number of solar installations on roofs, the growing spread of heat pumps in households and the increasing use of electric vehicles, BKW is adapting its electricity grid to the new requirements and converting and expanding its distribution grid.

Castellaneta wind farm in Italy

ProjectThe BKW Castellaneta wind farm in southern Italy has an annual production of over 100 GWh. The project highlights the potential of wind energy and is an example of BKW's innovative strength and environmental responsibility.StrategyThe wind farm fits perfectly into the portfolio of BKW Energy Production, which aims to grow profitably in the coming years with a technologically and geographically diversified portfolio.ContributionThe Castellaneta wind farm makes a significant contribution to Europe's sustainable energy supply.

Germany's tallest timber high-rise building

ProjectAssmann Beraten + Planen is playing a key role in the construction of Roots in Hamburg – Germany's tallest wooden high-rise building. It is 65 metres high and houses 128 privately owned apartments and 54 subsidised apartments across 19 storeys. The wood comes from certified coniferous forests, mostly from Styria in Austria.StrategyBKW Engineering assumes responsibility as architects and engineers for the built environment of our future.ContributionCompared with conventional construction methods, Roots achieves a remarkable 31 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions. This corresponds to around 3,520 tonnes of the climate-damaging greenhouse gas.

Accordingly, there is an increasing need for specialists to plan, further expand and maintain the distribution grid. Yet there are too few of precisely these specialists in Switzerland. This is where BKW is taking countermeasures with its training offensive for power network electricians. Not only young school-leavers are given the opportunity to learn this profession – experienced specialists also have the opportunity to reorient themselves. As career changers, they bring valuable skills and experience with them and, as part of a second apprenticeship, acquire sound knowledge in a field of activity that is hugely relevant to society. Michael Brunner heads the BKW Energy Training Centre in Kallnach in the Bernese Seeland, where trainees complete an important part of their training. “We need committed employees who enjoy working outdoors and as part of a team,” says Brunner. “People who can rely on one another at all times.”The renewable production of sufficient electricity, its reliable delivery to customers, and the efficient use of energy in buildings and infrastructures: is that enough for BKW to be equipped for the new energy world with its “Solutions 2030” strategy? Is that enough for BKW to offer its customers pioneering solutions for all aspects of the energy transition? Not quite. BKW has two additional key competencies that are crucial for the new energy world. And it will further strengthen them with the “Solutions 2030” strategy.The first competency is somewhat technical: wind turbines and solar installations do not always produce the same amount of electricity. In summer and during the day there tends to be too much electricity, while in winter and at night there tends to be too little. To compensate for this, BKW has long used the reservoirs in the Grimsel area, which produce electricity on demand. With the enlargement of the Lake Grimsel dam and the construction of Trift, BKW also has major expansion plans for hydropower that is always available on demand. Now a second flexible technology is being added: large battery storage systems. In Arzberg in northern Bavaria, BKW, together with partners and on behalf of the Swiss investor MW Storage, is building one of Europe’s largest privately financed energy storage facilities. When the sun shines and the wind blows, there is too much electricity in the grid: the battery charges. When the sun sets and the wind dies down, there is too little electricity: the battery feeds energy into the grid. The project in Arzberg is not intended to be the only one: using the experience gained there, BKW plans to implement its own battery projects in future and grow strongly in the field of batteries.

Grid Electrician InitiativeBKW Power Grid

ProjectBKW is adapting its electricity grid to the new requirements and expanding its distribution grid. This requires more skilled workers. There are too few of these skilled workers in Switzerland. BKW has therefore created a programme for career changers. People who have completed an apprenticeship can complete a shortened second apprenticeship at BKW as an EFZ grid electrician.StrategyThe electrification of heating and mobility requires the conversion and expansion of the distribution grid. For this, BKW needs the right specialists.ArticleA strong distribution grid is the essential prerequisite for the decarbonisation of our energy system and the success of the energy transition.

Lindt & SprüngliBKW Building Solutions

ProjectSigren is taking on the building automation for the expansion and modernisation of Lindt & Sprüngli's Cocoa Center in Olten. This includes, among other things, nine control cabinets including programming, which can be used to control more than one hundred heating, cooling and ventilation systems.StrategyBKW Building Solutions combines the mission of actively shaping the energy transition with entrepreneurial passion and innovative strength.ContributionModern building automation offers comprehensive options for optimising technical systems in order to improve energy savings and thus Lindt & Sprüngli's environmental footprint.

Arzberg energy storage system

ProjectBKW Infra Services is working together with other partners on one of Europe's largest privately financed energy storage facilities. The battery will have an output of 100 MW and a storage capacity of 200 MWh. The site is located near Arzberg, northern Bavaria.StrategyThe project demonstrates that BKW Infra Services can cover the entire value chain in the future market of large-scale battery storage systems.ContributionThe project makes a significant contribution to the energy transition in Europe. It helps to integrate the volatile energy production from solar and wind power into the electricity system, thereby stabilising the electricity grids.

The second area of expertise of central importance to the new energy world is electricity trading. Large companies need a great deal of renewable energy to decarbonise their own business activities – and precisely when their machines are running or their computers are processing. This is where BKW offers customised, sustainable and long-term solutions: it takes electricity from its own power plants that produce renewable energy, purchases additional renewable energy from producers and supplies customers with exactly the amount of renewable electricity they need at the relevant moment. Prominent companies such as Deutsche Bahn and Nestlé already rely on individual solutions from BKW – and more customers will follow in the coming years.Back to the Castellaneta wind farm in southern Italy, back to renewable electricity production. Margarita Aleksieva has taken the lift back down from the wind turbine and is unfastening her fall protection harness. “The view up there lets me feel the full force of nature and the immense potential of wind energy,” she enthuses. Good prospects, then: not only for BKW’s Head of Wind and Solar, but for the entire company.

Schattenhalb solar test facilityBKW Energy Production

ProjectIn the municipality of Schattenhalb in the Bernese Oberland, BKW is planning the construction of an alpine solar plant intended to supply 14 GWh of electricity annually – around half of it in winter. A test facility has already been built on site.StrategyBKW is strengthening renewable energy production in Switzerland and, alongside wind and hydropower, is also investing in alpine PV plants.ContributionWith its alpine solar projects, BKW is contributing to the expansion of low-emission winter electricity production and to security of supply in Switzerland.

Munich AirportBKW Engineering

ProjectMunich Airport is expanding its Terminal 1 with a state-of-the-art pier so that it can meet the growing demands of air traffic. The interdisciplinary project team at Assmann Beraten + Planen is planning this major project.StrategyWith 4,000 employees, BKW Engineering is the largest provider of holistic architectural and engineering services in the German-speaking region – and aims to continue growing in this area.ArticleThe new building planned by Assmann Beraten + Planen is characterised by energy-efficient plant and system technology, offering passengers a significant increase in efficiency, service and comfort.

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