Leading renewable energy consultancy and service provider, Natural Power, has acted as owner’s engineer on behalf of Romande Energie for the construction of Sainte-Croix Wind Farm in Switzerland – a project that was elevated to the status of national interest by the Federal Court in accordance with the Federal Energy Law.
The six-turbine project, which has the capacity to generate 22 million kWh per year, is located on the Jura balcony in the Canton of Vaud and is Switzerland’s only wind farm to have been built in 2022-2023. It is now generating clean electricity for the Swiss population this winter.
Joris Robillard, Lead Business Development Manager at Natural Power, said: “We’re really proud to have been a key delivery partner throughout the crucial construction phase, bringing this significant project to fruition and finally delivering this much-needed renewable energy as part of the country’s domestic energy mix.”
Natural Power provided an initial technical red flag review of the TSA and operations and maintenance contracts along with a high-level review of ice detection and de-icing system, and owner’s engineering services throughout the construction phase. This included main component inspection on the ground prior to erection, turbine pre and post commissioning inspections, as well as a complete review of the take-over documentation process to ensure - the plant has fulfilled the technical specifications of the contract in order to operate correctly.
Matthieu Principaud, Asset Manager at Romande Energie, said “It is great to see this project come to life after over two decades of development and join Romande Energie's growing wind portfolio. As the first windfarm in the Canton of Vaud, Romande Energie was keen on working with the best to ensure a qualitive and smooth construction phase, as such being able to rely on Natural Power’s expertise helped us remarkably, particularly during the commissioning phase.”
Natural Power has extensive experience providing owner’s engineering services for the construction of wind farms all around the world. Combined with the breadth and depth of experience in delivering due diligence and asset management contracts, Natural Power is ideally suited to deliver a holistic service to renewable energy project developers. Find out more about construction services here.
Image Courtesy of Valentin Flauraud, Romande Energie