Nexans Switzerland opens a solar power plant in Cortaillod

Nexans Switzerland and Groupe E Greenwatt are celebrating the opening of a new 1.7 MW photovoltaic farm on the historic Cortaillod cable factory site, marking a significant step in Nexans’ transition to more sustainable energy.

Since the project’s launch in summer 2023, 4,000-plus photovoltaic panels, each rated at 430W, have been installed on 10 roofs at the Cortaillod site. Carried out in partnership with Groupe E Greenwatt, the initiative was coordinated every step of the way to minimise the impact on Nexans’ day-to-day operations and ensure exceptional delivery quality.

The ten new arrays are in addition to the 700 kW facility built by Groupe E Greenwatt in 2015 (and which it has operated since then), bringing the total installed capacity at the Cortaillod site to 2.4 MW. This extended capacity will enable Nexans to achieve an estimated self-consumption rate of over 90% and reinforce its energy autonomy (>20%).

A team of specialists dedicated to this project

The work was carried out against an ambitious technical backdrop by a dedicated team from Groupe E’s Boudry site. A roof-by-roof approach was implemented to ensure optimum integration of the solar panels, with each roof treated as an independent entity within an overall system. The specific architectural and structural features had to be taken into account to ensure the cohesion of the whole.

This approach avoided disruptions to the site’s productive activity during the installation work. The result: a 100% successful roll-out almost five months ahead of schedule.

Other energy transition projects under consideration

Other energy transition-oriented projects will soon be coming on stream at the Cortaillod site, with an assessment underway for a third extension to the solar farm and another focusing on electric mobility.