Based on findings from winter 2022/23 with the threat of an energy shortage and sharp price fluctuations on the energy market, SBB drew up a new energy strategy. SBB aims to secure coverage of 95% of rail power requirements during the winter half-year long-term by 2030, ensuring greater independence from the electricity market. The summer half-year is generally already covered by SBB’s own power production. SBB is focusing on stepping up its energy-efficiency measures, expanding its existing hydropower plants and opening up its sites for the installation of photovoltaic systems. In this way, SBB is supporting the Swiss Confederation’s 2050 Energy Strategy and adopting its measures. 

Energy efficiency.

SBB has been systematically implementing energy-efficiency measures since 2012, thereby saving energy. It aims to improve energy efficiency by 30% by 2030, saving 850 gigawatt hours a year compared with 2010. As energy requirements will increase long-term with the continual expansion of services, additional energy-efficiency measures will be required to meet this extra demand. They include, for example, the optimisation of train control and the procurement of energy-efficient trains. This will ensure the long-term energy requirements of 2,500 gigawatt hours a year will not be exceeded.

Renewable energy.

SBB uses renewable energy (hydropower and photovoltaic systems) to produce its electricity. Thanks to its eight hydropower plants and five joint-venture power plants, 90% of the power required to run SBB’s trains is already generated by hydropower. In future, SBB wants to further increase the proportion of trains powered by renewable energy. By 2040, SBB aims to produce 160 gigawatt hours of electricity a year from photovoltaic systems installed on its buildings and sites. SBB will reach an initial milestone of 100 gigawatt hours a year by 2030. 160 gigawatt hours is equivalent to the power requirements of around 40,000 households. 

Nuclear energy and certificate of origin.

90% of the power required to run SBB trains already comes from hydropower. The remaining 10% is met by a nuclear power participation and photovoltaic systems. In future, SBB wants to further increase the proportion of trains powered by renewable energy.

To replace the share from nuclear power, SBB will obtain industry-standard certificates of origin for renewable energy supplies, on one hand, and increase its own power production long-term using hydropower plants and photovoltaic systems on the other.

SBB is still looking at options for the sale of its nuclear energy participation. If a sale cannot be agreed, the systems will continue to operate for as long as feasible in terms of safety requirements in accordance with the Confederation’s Energy Strategy.