At the request of REpower Systems SE, this licensing agreement has now been extended by one year. This means that REpower Systems SE will be able to continue doing business under this name until the end of 2013. In doing so, Repower AG is giving REpower Systems SE more time for the implementation of its name change. The agreement also covers operation of the web address www.repower.de. Repower Germany can be reached via www.energie.repower.com or via the group’s site at www.repower.com/de.

Repower AG is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. REpower Systems SE belongs to the Indian group Suzlon Energy Limited, which has held 100% of REpower Systems indirectly since October 2011. Prior to this, shares in REpower Systems SE were likewise traded on the stock exchange.

Repower AG is an energy company (electricity and gas) with an integrated business model encompassing generation, trading and sales, and operates in the key markets of Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Romania. REpower Systems SE is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of onshore and offshore wind power installations. The two companies are not connected in any way.

Contact:

Werner Steinmann
Head of Media Relations
CH-7742 Poschiavo
T +41 81 839 7111
M +41 81 831 5213
werner.steinmann(at)repower.com

Great emphasis on environmental factors
Following the granting of the concessions by the municipalities affected, Repower has been working on the details of the project. This work has primarily revolved around the environmental factors, which were elucidated in the first phase of the main environmental impact report. This was done in the form of a participatory process involving major project stakeholders (environmental organisations, the canton, the municipalities, fisheries, the local population, etc.). In this way it was possible to identify, address and resolve or optimise critical issues at an early stage. The report concluded that the Lagobianco project will have considerable environmental implications, but that it will be possible to offset the impact by improving the operation of existing facilities and taking appropriate remediation measures. 

The first phase of the environmental impact report basically covers the following areas:

• Standing bodies of water: Lago Bianco and Lago di Poschiavo will, as they are already now, be subject to fluctuations in lake water level. As the intensity of these fluctuations will increase owing to the operation of the pumps and turbines, maximum fluctuations in lake water level have been defined and delimited precisely. To keep the impact on turbidity, temperature layers and particle concentration in the lakes as low as possible, the water must be fed into and taken from the lakes at the optimum depth.

• Running bodies of water: The project will virtually eliminate the problem of excessive fluctuations in the water level of the Poschiavino, the river running through the valley. By laying down adequate minimum flows and taking remediation measures, it will be possible to enhance the ecological quality of many running bodies of water already in use. On the other hand, the impact on these bodies of water can be expected to increase during construction.

• Flora, fauna and natural habitats: At most construction sites the degree of intervention in the vegetation is expected to be very low to medium. Around Lago Bianco, however, protective, restorative and remediation measures will have to be taken to reduce or balance out the heavy impact that can be anticipated there. Animal life is hardly expected to be adversely affected by the operation of the new facilities. Detailed planning in the construction phase will have to take particular account of the needs of land animals and their habitats.

• Landscape and recreation: The area affected by the project includes diverse protected landscapes of national and cantonal significance, parts of the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscapes UNESCO World Heritage Site, and various protected buildings and historic transport routes. The report addresses the impact of the project on these sites, and where necessary proposes measures to protect or preserve them. The impact on parts of the landscape that are not specially protected was also assessed, and was found to be tolerable overall.

• Agriculture and alpine farming: The project will have both temporary and permanent implications for agriculture and alpine farming. However, with the exception of revitalisation measures, the loss of land will not be relevant. On the other hand, the use of land around the northern dam at Lago Bianco will be restricted for a number of years.

• Managing materials: One of the greatest environmental challenges in the construction of the Lagobianco project is dealing with the large volumes of excavated material entailed. Around 40% of this material can be recycled to make concrete, a large part of it for the project itself. Two thirds of the material that cannot be recycled can be used for the necessary land and lake infilling. The remainder will ultimately be used for landscaping at various locations, optimised from an environmental point of view. A new dump in Valposchiavo is planned for inert materials, while contaminated material will be taken to a special disposal. Managing and processing materials will require sophisticated transport logistics. A construction cableway and transport boats on Lago di Poschiavo will enable efficient and environmentally friendly transportation. Further optimisation measures and measures to protect the people living in the valley will be worked out in the detailed planning stage.

• Remediation measures: The first phase of the environmental impact report also contains a series of remediation measures designed to offset the anticipated impact of constructing and running the Lagobianco pumped storage plant. A water development plan has also been drawn up on a participatory basis. The most important steps have to do with revitalisation measures for the Poschiavino stream through the valley and the area where it flows into Lago di Poschiavo. Added to this, a satellite lake (Lago Botul) is to be divided off from the northern part of Lago di Poschiavo; this will not be subject to fluctuations in water level. Finally there are also revitalisation measures planned for the Cambrena Delta at Lago Bianco.

Next steps
The first phase of the environmental impact report is an integral part of more than 2,000 pages of documentation submitted to Canton Graubünden as part of the request for concession approval and environmental impact assessment. A subsequent step will be to submit details of the actual construction project and phase 2 of the environmental impact report as parts of the request for project approval. Here the options discussed will include moving the route of the pressure tunnel and pressure duct slightly to the south, because the geological conditions are expected to be better here, and it will enable the construction site in the mountains to be set up at a winter-proof location. Only once approval for both the concessions and the project itself have been granted and are legally binding, Repower will make the formal decision to build or commence installation of the building sites. Construction work will take around six years.

Four concessions
The request for concession approval that has now been submitted covers a total of four concessions, which have been approved by the electorate in the communities affected.

1. Concession A, granted by the municipality of Poschiavo, relates to the continued operation of existing facilities in the Upper Poschiavo.
2. Concession B, granted by the municipality of Poschiavo, relates to the construction of the new Lagobianco pumped storage power plant.
3. The concession granted by the municipality of Pontresina relates to the construction of the new Lagobianco pumped storage power plant.
4. The concession granted by the municipality of Brusio relates to the continued operation of existing facilities in the Lower Poschiavo.

These concessions have been granted for a term of 80 years. The four concessions are coordinated, as they are all related to hydropower generation in Valposchiavo. For this reason only one joint application was submitted, underscoring the partnership between the contracting parties.

Helping assure the supply of energy for the future
The Lagobianco pumped storage power plant will help maintain the security of the electricity supply and grid stability in Switzerland and Europe. Ways of storing electricity and power plants that can be deployed flexibly are key if the rapidly increasing generation capacity of wind and photovoltaic installations across Europe is to be usefully harnessed. This is because the generation of these new renewables is not geared to actual demand, but is heavily dependent on the current weather situation. The Lagobianco pumped storage power plant will be able to take up energy during periods where wind and solar installations are feeding large amounts of electricity into the grid, and then feed it back into the grid at periods of high demand. It will thus play an important role in the gradual reorientation of the energy supply in Europe.
 

Note:

Here you can download an overview and a flyer about the Lagobianco project (in German and Italian only).

Contact:
  
Felix Vontobel 
Deputy CEO
Head of Assets
CH-7742 Poschiavo  
T +41 81 839 7111
M +41 79 222 0432
felix.vontobel(at)repower.com

Roberto Ferrari
Head of Lagobianco Project
CH-7742 Poschiavo
T +41 81 839 7111
M +41 79 702 6814
roberto.ferrari(at)repower.com     
 

Werner Steinmann
Head of Corporate Communications
CH-7742 Poschiavo
T +41 81 839 7111
M +41 79 831 5213
werner.steinmann@repower.comwww.lagobianco.com

www.repower.com

From 2005 to 2010 Stefan Kessler served as the company’s General Secretary, and since 2010 has headed Management Services (which comprises Legal Services, Corporate IT and Enterprise Content Management). Prior to that he worked as a bank legal counsel and as a lawyer.

Stefan Kessler (aged 38) graduated with a degree in law (lic.iur) from the University of St Gallen in 1997. He subsequently qualified to practice law in Canton St Gallen and gained a master of laws in international business law from the University of Zurich. Since 2010 Kessler has also lectured for the Chur University of Applied Sciences’ master’s programme in energy. Stefan Kessler is a Swiss citizen of Schiers, and lives in Jenins. He is married with two children.

With the selection of Stefan Kessler, the Board of Directors has been able to appoint a figure who for a number of years has played a key role in the development of Repower Group in various management positions. He has a proven track record in the energy business, and strong financial competencies in areas key to the future development of Repower. He will assume his new role on 1 December 2011.

Here you can download a photograph of Stefan Kessler:

- Stefan Kessler, CFO Repower (1)

- Sefan Kessler, CFO Repower (2)

Contact

Kurt Bobst   
CEO
CH-7742 Poschiavo                                                  
T       +41 81 839 7111
M       +41 79 221 4655
kurt.bobst@repower.com

www.repower.com