Repower (Swiss company)

For more than 100 years, Repower has been one of the largest providers of electricity in Switzerland. Founded in 1904 as Kraftwerke Brusio AG, the same year the company started construction of its first power plant − at the time the largest high-pressure hydropower installation in Europe − in Campocologno in the Poschiavo region of Canton Graubünden, Switzerland. Proximity to the Italian border precipitated the company's involvement in international projects and business activities. In 2000, Kraftwerke Brusio AG (Poschiavo), AG Bündner Kraftwerke (Klosters) and Rhätische Werke für Elektrizität AG (Thusis) merged to create the Rätia Energie AG group, which was subsequently joined by aurax ag (Ilanz) in 2004. In 2002 the group embarked on business in Italy. In 2010, Rätia Energie AG was renamed Repower AG.

The company's shareholders are:[4]

• Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Zürich 32.12%
• Canton Graubünden 21.96%
• UBS Clean Energy Infrastructure Switzerland KGK (UBS CEIS) 18.88%
• Axpo Holding AG 12.69%
• Free float 14.35%

Repower prepares its accounts in Swiss francs. Its 2019 results were announced on 7 April 2020.

The executive board comprises the following members:[6][7]

• Roland Leuenberger, CEO of Repower Group
• Samuel Bontadelli, COO
• Brigitte Krapf, Head of Finance, CFO
• Fabio Bocchiola, Head of Italy

In Switzerland the group has offices in Bever, Küblis, Ilanz, Landquart, Poschiavo and Zurich. In Italy it operates out of an office in Milan.

Repower has its own generation assets in Switzerland, Italy and Germany, producing electricity on the basis of different technologies: hydro, thermal and wind. In 2018 the group's own installations generated around 1.66 TWh of electricity. In addition to this, the company has long term contracts with nuclear power plants in Switzerland and France.

Hydropower

Robbia hydropower plant

The group operates 15 of its own hydropower plants in Canton Graubünden, Switzerland. It also has interests and drawing rights in other plants. The company's installed hydropower capacity totals 405 MW.

Some of these hydropower facilities generate naturemade star certified green power. The naturemade star label is awarded by the Association for Environmentally Sound Energy (VUE).

Repower generates around two thirds of its energy turnover in trading; in 2018 this came to around 12 terawatt hours.[8] Repower operates on the most important European energy exchanges from trading floors located in Poschiavo (Switzerland) and Milan (Italy). The group sees itself as an asset-based trader, trading electricity, gas and carbon certificates. On the physical side of the business Repower delivers electricity – part of which is generated by Repower itself, part of which is bought in from outside – to wholesale customers, usually via the high-voltage grid. The company also deals in certificates to deliver environmental value-added to larger end-consumers, independently of the grid. At the wholesale level the group delivers standard products such as base, peak and off-peak, as well as profiles.

Repower has played a significant role in increasing cross-border capacity between northern and southern Europe by building the international Bernina Line (380 kV/220 kV), commissioned in 2005 and transferred to the Swiss national grid operator Swissgrid at the beginning of 2013.

In October 2009, Repower joined forces with Edison and the municipality of Tirano to inaugurate the first A/C merchant line in Europe. It runs underground for its entire length between Tirano (Italy) and Campocologno (Switzerland). This 150 kV merchant line increases cross-border transport capacity by 150 MW, helping assure a secure energy supply in Italy and Switzerland. Currently a new 220 kV merchant line between Val Bregaglia (Switzerland) and Italy is being planned.

• Repower AG